


Punch-Drunk Love

by catlikeacat



Series: Punch-Drunk Love [1]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Eating Disorders, M/M, Self-Hatred, lots of background Lilith/Roland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-04-24 13:04:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 52,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catlikeacat/pseuds/catlikeacat
Summary: The bus doors opened, this time the entire bus jerked to the side at the weight of their final traveling companion.Mordecai had heard that people were bigger on Pandora but this was… excessive, easily the most gigantic man that Mordecai had ever seen in his life. He was already a tall dude but this guy was roughly a foot taller than him. Outweighing him by probably about four or five times. One hundred percent muscle.Mordecai felt his veins go cold at the scowl on the man’s face.But the man’s face brightened at the attention into a smile that was somehow just as intimidating as the frown.





	1. That’s One Big Motherfucker

**Author's Note:**

> I know technically I'm running three fics at a time right now but Test of Faith is so close to being done and I was Compelled by the new DLC to start this since I've been planning it for a while.
> 
> Where Angels Fear To Tread also has a chapter half done, I'm just coming off a hectic time at work. Looking forward to working much more on my fics going forward.
> 
> I debated on if I could use this title having never seen the Adam Sandler movie of the same name and never intending to but then I googled it and if some random k-pop group can use this phrase for a song title with no connection to the movie so can I.
> 
> First chapter is short because my intro chapters always are.

Rattling. Sunlight. Stench. Marcus’s grating voice trying to strike up a conversation with the desperately unwilling man. Nothing here comfortable to Mordecai but the sound of Bloodwing’s screams up above, soaring after the bus, on rare occasion landing on it to relax with a loud ‘thump’.

Mordecai wished he could have brought him on the bus but not only was the bird uncomfortable being contained but Marcus refused unless he was going to pay another overpriced bus fare for the shrieking creature. Pay to make Bloodwing uncomfortable? Everyone loses there.

So he was left alone in the nasty bus, forced to contemplate his miserable existence while Marcus prattled away at him.

Could they at least pick someone else up? Give Marcus another target to aim his weird need to talk to someone. Or maybe they’d also want to talk to Mordecai. Mierda, he should have paid the extra fare, nothing says ‘don’t talk to me’ like a bird of prey trying to peck at intruders.

His stomach twisted as the bus slowed, signalling that he was about to flip that coin.

The door opened and in came the most mercifully normal man Mordecai had ever seen. A soldier. Didn’t even make eye contact, just walked to the middle of the bus and sat with his head down. Like Mordecai didn’t even exist.

Just the way he likes it.

As hoped, Marcus switched tactics to try and address the soldier to a similar lack of success. Short, one word answers barely any better than Mordecai’s own silence. Marcus grumbling to himself about them being depressing downers.

But it made him shut up and you know what? That was just peachy.

For a while there was silence as Mordecai just stared out the window at the passing wasteland but after a long while the bus slowed again.

Another flip of the coin.

This time those doors ushered in a very pale wo-

Holy motherfucking shit that’s a goddamn Siren. That’s a fucking Siren. Prior to this moment Mordecai hadn’t even really fully bought their existence. Hell, as his brain caught up with the situation… maybe they were fake?

God, could Sirens read minds? As if she could, the woman’s yellow eyes locked onto his and flashed bright in time with her tattoos with a cocky smile.

Yeah, fuck, that’s a Siren.

Mordecai didn’t hold her attention though, the young woman having no interest in a gangly man more than a decade her senior. Instantly looking over his shoulder and locking onto the soldier. Younger, handsomer, and not nearly as angry looking.

Good, she’s vaguely terrifying, not gonna melt Mordecai’s mind if she’s busy flirting with someone else.

While she didn’t start talking to the man immediately she did go and sit across from him, smiling as she tried and failed repeatedly to catch his eye. She was pretty determined though.

One extra annoyance did arise from her presence though: the woman was willing to carry on a brainless, small talk conversation with Marcus to the man’s delight. Finally having a travelling companion who would more than just acknowledge his existence, hell, who seemed genuinely interested in his stories.

Flip a coin, you get a fifty-fifty chance. One acceptable passenger, one annoying but you can’t say anything because she can DEFINITELY explode your eyeballs.

For even longer they travelled like this, Mordecai feeling like they were never going to reach this stupid town so he could escape this hell. He’d only picked it on a whim, just wanting to be in the middle of nowhere. Didn’t think about how long it would take him to get there and definitely didn’t think he’d have so much company on the way.

Eventually, the bus slowed again. Great. A third passenger.

The bus doors opened, this time the entire bus jerked to the side at the weight of their final traveling companion.

Mordecai had heard that people were bigger on Pandora but this was… excessive, easily the most gigantic man that Mordecai had ever seen in his life. He was already a tall dude but this guy was roughly a foot taller than him. Outweighing him by probably about four or five times. One hundred percent muscle.

Mordecai felt his veins go cold at the scowl on the man’s face.

But the man’s face brightened at the attention into a smile that was somehow just as intimidating as the frown.

Mordecai felt his empty stomach churn at that, a gut feeling of fear at what this behemoth could possibly be thinking about him. For a stressful second Mordecai worried the man would sit across from him, like the Siren with the soldier, but thankfully his bulk gave him a single option. Stomping to the back, shaking the bus with every step, before collapsing into the back seat. Taking up almost the entire row.

Mordecai realized that he’d turned to watch this happen, not taking his eyes off the man for a second.

Still the man was eyeballing him, face having gone back to the scowl as he kept giving him a slow, repeating up and down.

At least Mordecai wasn’t alone in staring at him. The Siren was similarly curious about their new companion and even the soldier had finally looked up. Eyeing their new companion warily like a rabid alpha skag had gotten on board. If Mordecai had to wager a guess the soldier’s hand was on his sidearm.

Mordecai could even see the Siren balk a bit at being stared down by the giant. But she didn’t let it daunt her as she said the first words to their new travelling companion.

Sticking her left hand out to the huge man, the Siren confidently introduced herself, “Hey, name’s Lilith. Yes, they’re real.”

The tattooed hand extended was a warning, the women definitely wasn’t a leftie.

Acting like that wasn’t out of place somewhere like here though. No shame in letting those around you know that you shouldn’t be fucked with. A customary gesture, really.

Didn’t stop her from reflexively jolting as a massive hand grabbed hers in what was most certainly a bone crunching handshake, voice as rumbly as you’d imagine, “Brick. I like to punch things.”

Not the most intelligent of answers but certainly not a surprise.

Lilith turned to the soldier, the way she’d switched back to her right hand was pointed. Politely, he grabbed it, “Roland. Ex-Crimson Lance.”

Equally unsurprising, still wearing his uniform.

Mordecai cringed as Lilith stood up to reach him as well, trying not to be insulted by the fact he was also not deemed dangerous enough for the tattooed arm. For a second he thought about ignoring her but something made him reach out and give her a firm handshake.

“I’m Mordecai.”

There was a loud ‘thump’ from above that made everyone jerk to attention as the large bird landed on the bus, tired from flying for so long.

“That’s my bird, Bloodwing.”


	2. Increasing Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Impatient brain wants to be at the cute happy couple part but smart brain knows "grumpy bitch Mordecai who assumes the worst of people" part comes first.

Mordecai flinched against the overbearing heat as he stepped back out into the scorching Pandoran sun.

He liked his mask. Kept his hearing safe from gunshots, shielded his eyes from blinding light, let him see shit right, made him look cool. But unfortunately was also stuffy as hell, an uncomfortable layer of sweat underneath it at all the damn time.

Hell if he was gonna take it off now though.

Lilith had kept trying to talk to them the entire ride and shamefully she’d gotten a bit of information out of everyone, including him, but never the full story from any. Some bits of where some of them were from, fighting styles, weird, random personal details. Now he knew stupid shit like Roland is from Promethea and Brick likes dogs and Lilith can walk into another dimension.

Alright, even as cynical as he was Mordecai had to admit that last thing was pretty fucking badass.

Maybe he kinda wanted to see it in action.

Just a little bit.

Maybe that’s what kept him from bolting the second the bus stopped and let them all off outside of Fyrestone.

But just as likely what anchored him there was the weird message from the angel. Some ethereal glowin' chick promising him that he'd get to see a vault if he got off here and fucked if he didn't think he couldn’t do it alone. He wasn't averse to teaming up with others, as long as he could make it temporary.

Lilith was undaunted, still oddly chipper and friendly as she stopped everyone from leaving, “Hey, one last question for all you guys before you all scatter to the winds… any of you interested in the Vault?”

Mordecai hated how much his ears perked up at that, it was like the woman had read his mind. Again. Can siren's so that? The Vault was supposed to be bullshit right? But until about an hour ago he also thought Sirens were probably bullshit too. And if anyone was gonna know about a Vault it’d be a Siren right…

No, no, shake your head and leave. Go on.

But he didn’t, he stood there as Roland and Brick both nodded along. Feeling like he was outside his body as he joined in a second later.

“Part of the reason I came here to Pandora is just… I know it sounds silly but this… calling of sorts,” Lilith rubbed a hand over the blue tattoos, “Like something wanted me on planet and like I’m supposed to find something here. Considering the Vault is THE big thing to find… I can only imagine it’s that.”

“Always did wanna be a Vault Hunter as a kid,” Roland cracked what Mordecai already knew must be an incredibly rare smile, “Why not? Didn’t have much direction coming here anyways.”

“I’m in,” Brick grinned as well, punching a fist into his other hand a few times, “Gotta be lots of good fights goin’ to a Vault, right?”

Frozen in place, Mordecai watched three expectant faces turn towards him.

His answer fell out of him automatically and he regretted it just as quick, “I guess I could stick around for a while.”

Before they could discuss anymore, one of those godforsaken Claptraps rolled up to make Mordecai regret his decision even more, somehow.

\- - -

Liberating Fyrestone was easy enough but man did Mordecai feel an intense, irrational need to prove himself to these people.

It wasn’t hard to be doing good, Pandoran bandits are apparently a big fan of “running at you in a straight line” but Mordecai knew his skills weren’t flashy. He wasn’t the guy tossing out the automatic turret and shouting orders. He wasn’t the woman disappearing and reappearing around the battlefield in bright flashes of chaotic power. He wasn’t the gigantic brute, beating people to death with his bare hands and yelling the entire damn time.

Just had his sniper rifle and his bird. A more humble combat style, a normal one.

Easy to ignore. Easy to think the bullets bursting open heads with one perfect shot were an errant bullet from anyone else.

Nobody was close enough to see the singular shot, directly to the forehead.

Except one.

Brick.

The giant man was always right in the thick of it, a constant obstacle to avoid. Mordecai wasn’t concerned though, not only did he have perfect confidence in his aim but it wasn’t like the man was blending into the crowd. Head and shoulders above every bandit he whose head he was nearly punching clean off.

Mordecai didn’t know why he was sticking to picking off the ones surrounding the giant but the man was clearly taking notice.

Through the scope, Mordecai could see the man’s head turn every time someone’s skull burst open in front of him. Mood unreadable. Was he annoyed that his punching bags were being taken away? Surprised? Scared? Impressed? Probably the first thing.

To the others Mordecai’s only presence in the fight came in the form of the bird swooping down, screaming as he ripped pieces off of people before soaring back to the sky above. He could see Lilith and Roland flinch each time, jerking up expecting to see a Rakk and calming down when they saw feathers instead.

When the dust cleared, the town was safe again for all one guy choosing to live in this shithole.

“Great work guys,” Lilith jogged over to where Mordecai and Roland had holed up, Brick hot on her heels, “Think maybe the four of us will make a good team.”

“Better than wandering alone,” Roland conceded, arms crossed nonetheless, “Dangerous out there.”

Stupid idle chitchat, always hated that. Also hated that Brick had gone right back to staring at him with that same fucking scowl on his face. Was the fucker really that upset that he’d been sniping around him?

God, this was gonna be a thing huh? Some weird giant dude being all macho at him because god forbid he have some finesse?

Mordecai thought about quietly slinking off the second everyone was distracted but the sudden weight on his shoulder brought all eyes to him. Of course Bloodwing would swoop down now, he wanted to be praised for all the good work he’d done out there. Snapping up one of Mordecai’s dreads in his beak and affectionately tugging at it.

“Aww, look,” Lilith cooed, tilting her head, “He loves you!”

‘No shit’ was what Mordecai thought but the more polite “Yeah, we’re close” was what he actually said. Scratching at the happy bird's neck.

“Cool bird,” was Brick’s only statement before reaching out to try and pet him.

“Bloodwing doesn’t like strangers,” Mordecai quickly replied, backing away a little, “Unless you’re a fan of getting your finger pecked open.”

This was a half lie, Bloodwing was generally pretty alright with non-hostile strangers but he didn’t terribly want any of them, especially the guy who was eyeballing him all the time, to get too cozy with his one and only friend.

Brick looked disappointed but backed off. It certainly wasn’t going to stop him staring at Mordecai though, now with added “distracting bird accessory.”

\- - -

Two tents, Lilith had only purchased two tents before they’d left Fyrestone after doing a few chores for some folks around town.

Mordecai wanted to say something but hesitated, just long enough that it would have been weird for him to bring it up. Distracted by his mind trying to quickly figure out a way to get Roland as his tentmate.

That guy was alright. Quiet. Didn’t ask questions. Doesn’t try to touch his bird.

But man… Lilith was chasing Roland something hard.

Mordecai got the first taste of what his life was going to be like if he stayed with them as two runners were digistructed in. Lilith hopping into the gunner seat of one and banging the front mental for Roland to join her, “Come on, soldier boy, let's get going.”

A wink. Great. She’s moved onto winking. And she’s all pretty and shit, if that Roland guy likes chicks then he’s fucked.

The way he hid the grin as he jumped in the driver’s seat that wasn’t a great sign.

The two of them took off, Lilith navigating with one hand as she blasted through some skags with the other.

For a second Mordecai thought the sudden weight on his shoulder was Bloodwing but to his disgust it was Brick’s hand. Standing too close to him,“You wanna drive or shoot?”

Mordecai wasn’t used to people being taller than him.

Turns out he doesn’t like it.

“I’m drivin’,” Mordecai responded, pulling away to hop in the driver’s seat. He wasn’t about to surrender control to the guy who just barrels into combat unarmed, if his driving was anything like that… well, Mordecai didn’t want to die in a tragic car crash. At least not sober.

“Okay,” the tone of Brick’s voice gave away that maybe that wasn’t the answer he wanted but he didn’t argue, climbing up to the gunner seat.

\- - -

About twenty minutes later, it became immediately obvious why Brick didn’t want to be gunner.

Because it also made him navigator.

Mordecai wasn’t exactly sure where the little branch off was. Lilith said she wanted to do the arena as a way to try out their capabilities together but the fucking thing wasn’t marked from the road.

At this point, it was very obvious they’d passed it long ago and were very, very lost.

A loud splatter and crunch sounded as Mordecai rolled over a few screaming skags before coming to a stop, whipping around to glare up at the man who was still staring at the map with empty, thoughtless eyes, trying to lead them towards their destination with increasing confusion, “Wait, just… turn aroun’ up here.”

“You ain’t got any idea where we are,” Mordecai stated, grabbing for the ECHO device in Brick’s hands, “Give me that, can you even read?”

“I can read,” Brick defended himself with a growl before balking a bit, “I just... can’t read maps good.”

“Why didn’t you just say that?!” Mordecai snapped back, “What’re you, too fucking proud to ask for directions?”

“I thought I could fix it,” Brick’s already loud tone growing louder, “Just wanted to- Man, we’re not even that lost. We’re just…”

The way he blankly looked down at the map was telling, all two cogs in his brain firmly stuck in place.

“Macho bullshit,” Mordecai ignored the sharp glare as he took another grab at the ECHO device in Brick’s hands, the man relinquishing it this time, “Switch with me.”

For a second it looked like Brick was going to make a big deal about this but as he puffed up in anger it diffused surprisingly quickly. The man deflating and hanging his head, jumping out to switch seats with no argument.

The ‘sorry’ was quiet but unmistakable as Brick unnecessarily tried to help Mordecai up to the gunner seat, looking even more defeated as Mordecai shrugged his hand off and climbed up himself. Big fucker thinks he ain’t even strong enough to climb shit, great.

Brick was giving him a hangdog look that almost made Mordecai feel bad for berating him. But not quite as he got a look at the map, exclaiming, “Pendejo, we’re halfway to fuckin’ New Haven! Why didn’t you say something?!”

“I said I’m sorry,” Brick grumbled, trying and failing to shrink away. Hunching over the steering wheel not hiding an inch of his massive form.

Honestly, Mordecai had expected him to puff up again and yell back or something.

“It’s fine,” he conceded with a sigh, not about to keep kicking someone while they’re down, “Just… turn around. Take a sharp left at the fork. I’ll get us there, don’t worry.”

Why the fuck was he comforting him?

But it worked, Brick seemed to perk up at that.

Thankfully, as it turns out, the man was a surprisingly acceptable driver and pretty damn good at taking directions despite his absolute inability to parse them out himself.

\- - -

“There you guys are!” Lilith trotted up to the Runner and slapped the top of it with a bang, “Me and Roland were thinking you’d ghosted us, we were gonna go on without you.”

“Big guy got us lost,” Mordecai swung his legs out of the gunner seat and hopped down with a grunt.

“Yeah he, uh, doesn’t seem like a... natural born navigator,” Roland cautiously ended that sentence as Brick slammed to the ground in front of him. Wisely realizing that, perhaps, he shouldn’t directly tell someone thrice his size that he thinks he’s unintelligent.

It was doubtful Brick caught that jab, “I ain’t travelled all that much. S’my first time off my neighborhood on Menoetius.”

Menoetius. Mordecai was fairly surprised Brick was an offworlder too.

“Why’d you come to Pandora?” Mordecai asked before he even considered the ramifications of ‘daring to express interest in any of these fucks.’

The consequence was instant though, Brick putting a heavy arm around him, “Family said I should travel and fight somethin’ new! Pandora sounded fun so I’m here now.”

“Well, fight’s just inside,” Lilith grinned, “C’mon, since you guys took a while Roland wrote down everything we’ve got to get done. Gonna have a busy few days, hope you’re ready to bird and punch a lot.”

“I’m always ready to punch,” Brick tightened his grip on Mordecai, dragging him inside. As much as he wanted to internally bitch about Brick not respecting the shrug off he was desperately trying to give him… well, he was actually fairly certain the man just hadn’t noticed.

Neither had Lilith and Roland, the woman flitting around him and attempting to get his attention.

Worst of all, it seemed to be working.

Another attempt to jerk away from Brick lead to nothing. Not even budging his arm. Yeah he uh… definitely wasn’t even aware of that. Great.

A swooping noise gave Mordecai a moment of hope, nothing gets someone off of him like a squawking, screaming bird. Thank god for Bloodwing.

But the fucking goddamn traitor just landed on the offending arm. Claws not digging into the muscles, just the creature curiously peeking over the hulking figure at his very annoyed human father. Quietly making inquisitive noises at Mordecai, occasionally looking over at Brick.

And Brick? Brick was ecstatic about this, “Hey, look! He likes me! Animals always like me.”

The glare Mordecai gave Bloodwing said ‘no extra treats tonight.’


	3. Biggest Idiot On Pandora

Somehow, Brick managed to get more obnoxious. A feat Mordecai previously would have thought that impossible and yet here we are.

The mini-coliseum was cramped, wildly impractically so. No sniper nest for Mordecai to crawl up into, safe from the biting, clamping jaws of the skags. Having to resort to kicking the beasts away and taking advantage of their screams to point blank them.

Worst of all, Brick was hovering around him. Not even giving him a chance to deal with the creatures jumping at him half the time before punching them halfway across the room. Always looking for his reaction, each and every time.

Wave after wave, the man just wouldn’t fuck off. An annoying showboating shadow, constantly sneaking him looks. Big fuck knew what he was doing. Trying to get a rise out of him.

Mordecai wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction for a reaction though, keeping his face steeled as he dealt with the annoyingly short range sniping.

Lilith and Roland had fucked off, fighting together as well but man… those two just get to play flirty flirty goo goo eyes with each other and he’s stuck with the guy absolutely fucking determined to show him up. Great.

And Bloodwing, the fucking traitor, liked the goddamn guy.

\- - -

As they left with the prize money, Lilith and Roland walked ahead. Mordecai was attempt to drag behind, maybe hoping to get left behind, but he was still being followed around by the overeager Brick trying to get the smaller man to celebrate with him.

“That Mordecai guy’s real standoffish,” Lilith commented to Roland, peeking over her shoulder at the mismatched pair, “Feel bad for Brick. He’s trying so hard to be buddies with him.”

Roland imitated that but had a bit of a better concept of exactly what the situation was, “Uh, yeah, pretty… pretty much.”

“You know, if you and me share a tent they’ll have to hang out…”

“Sounds like you got ulterior motives,” Roland raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

“I’m not- they’re just- just gonna make them friends, nuh-uh, nope, nothing else there,” Lilith picked up the pace, knowing she couldn’t hide how red her stupid ghost-white face gets.

It wasn’t hard for Roland to hook a finger into the back of her vest collar and stop her though, “Alright, alright, don’t run away from me. We’ll be tent mates ‘to make Brick and Mordecai be friends.’ Be cool.”

“Cool, cool, cool, definitely no other things on my mind, no siree,” Lilith matched pace again, “But yeah I don’t… want our team to not like each other. So I really do want them to be friends.”

Roland looked down at the piece of paper sticking out of his pocket, “What if I told you I had a plan for that?”

“Maybe you’d be my favorite person,” Lilith rocked back and forth, “Maybe someone could get a hero kiss.

Fishing out the paper and carefully tearing it in half, Roland gave her a wink, “Maybe I’ll hold you to that.”

Putting on his best military commander face he turned around and approached the other men. It really was almost comical how hard Mordecai was trying to get away from his friendly combatant who was matching his pace of “absolute crawl” as they left the cavern.

“Hey, me and Lilith have been talking and our list has gotten real long,” Roland started, ignoring the downright hateful look Mordecai was shooting him, “We’re never getting to New Haven anytime soon at this pace so we’re going to split the difference. Half for me and her, half for you two.”

Mordecai’s face was a downright snarl, “And did we get any fuckin’ say in thi-”

Brick’s louder though, Brick’s a lot louder. Enthusiastically putting Mordecai into a half headlock as he took the list with a surprisingly bright smile, “Sounds good!”

“Keep in touch on the radio, let’s try to get this done in a few days,” Roland gestured for them to follow him out, “It’ll be nice to get to some real civilization. Maybe we can celebrate when we get to New Haven, have a little party.”

All three men flinched at the light as they left the cave, Pandoran fun beating down on their cars. Lilith already happily perched in the gunner seat, “Hell yeah we’re gonna have a party. Get you guys wasted. Wanna see if I can get any of you losers to have a dance contest with me.”

“What’re you, a Claptrap?” Mordecai grumbled, starting to climb to the other gunner seat. Letting out an embarrassing yelp as he felt his foot slide on the not yet dried skag blood. He braced himself for a crash landing but the actual result was much worse.

The ease with which Brick caught him was humiliating, fucking one-handed. No effort. Just scooped up like a fucking princess. Trapped, pressed tightly against Brick’s side.

Lilith’s laugh only made Mordecai’s skin crawl more, “Nice catch, big guy. C’mon, give him a hero kiss, Mordy.”

Mordy. He hated nicknames but he hated the almost expectant smile on Brick’s face even more.

“Don’t call me Mordy,” he growled, trying to get away from Brick to no success. Instead, the giant just lifted him higher and easily placed him gently in the gunner seat like a fabergé egg.

The little ‘aww’ Lilith made just made him even more angry but he really had no recourse than to uncomfortably tuck his too-long legs into the gunner seat. Quietly plotting to escape at the first chance.

Actually this would make it easier. Just wait until the big lug passes out, creep out of the tent, leave.

The smile on his face was just slightly too close to being gently set down, making Brick gave him a cheerful smile back before patting the metal around him and hopping into the driver’s seat. Happily looking forward to their time alone.

\- - -

Peering down at the list, they’d mostly been handed a list of shit to do for T.K. Baha. Weird dude outside town. Mordecai was reasonably alright with the man. Polite but not too friendly, the ideal combination.

But he had to admit, going to fight a big fucking skag for revenge wasn’t exactly his ideal way to spend the quickly waning sunset.

More than that, Mordecai hated the way Brick was crouching over him while he scoped out the monster. Squinting at it like merely being in the general vicinity of the sniper scope would help him see.

“There a reason why you’re hawking over me?” Mordecai shrugged a shoulder back in a weak attempt to push the man further away. Barely even moving the offending arm. Not taking the scope off his eye for a second as he tracked its movements.

“Can I look?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so,” Mordecai shot him a glare before going right back to watching, “Not like you can punch him from his distance anyways.”

The laugh was unexpected and so was the slap on the back that accompanied it, scope loudly clunking on his goggles. Snarling back at him shut the big man up quickly. Wasn’t even a joke, big fucker was just gonna take every chance to laugh at him that he could, apparently.

“Alright, here’s the plan,” Mordecai hoping the man would be as good at taking combat instructions as he was directions, “You’re gonna run in and be a distraction. Just try to get in as much damage as you can and keep them from coming here. Blood’ll swoop around with you, I’ll shoot from back here, it’ll be easy. There’s more than one skag out there so try to remember that because if you think I can drag your body back to civilization you’re wrong.”

Again the fucker laughed, “Yeah, I can do that. Now?”

“No time like the present, go,” Mordecai dismissed him, perhaps a bit coldly.

Not like his unwanted partner could pick up on it. Seemed like he shrugged off most of Mordecai’s assholery without even really acknowledging it. Maybe he wasn’t smart enough to realize he was in hostile territory.

That seemed likely. Watching Brick bolting towards the skags on the orders of a guy who didn’t like him.

For a dark second, Mordecai realized how easy it would be to just ditch the guy now. Without backup even a big dude like him would easily be ripped apart by the fairly large group of skags that surrounded Scar. Hell, nobody’d even find his body.

Cringing, Mordecai felt disgust at himself for even thinking that. He didn’t like the macho asshole but he didn’t deserve to die alone in the desert.

Thinking shit like that was why nobody liked him either.

Wasn’t time to ruminate on self hatred though as Brick reached his target, punching out a full grown skag hard enough to send it flying.

For all his personal flaws, Mordecai knew he was a good shot. Focusing in on Scar and leaving the smaller enemies for Bloodwing and Brick. Knowing with perfect confidence that no matter how close his shots were to them that he’d never hit them.

Each time he was proven correct. Every bullet soaring perfectly into Scar’s big ugly head, not even close to a single friendly fire incident.

His accuracy did have one downside though.

Mordecai’s first few shots left the big ol’ beastie confused where they were but as they embedded themselves into his tough flesh over and over from the same direction…

Scar’s head jerked sharply towards Mordecai.

Oh fuck.

Given the general luck of Mordecai’s life, Brick was busy trying to punch a skag off him that had gotten a good grip on his ankle. Leaving Scar free reign to just bolt at Mordecai full tilt, screaming open that freaky mouth caked with dried blood.

Of course he was backed up against a cliffside, barely hidden by a rock. Running wasn’t going to do anything.

Bracing himself, Mordecai did the only thing that had a chance of saving himself.

Holding his ground and continuing the fire. Hoping that the increased damage of firing directly into the skag’s constantly open, constantly screeching mouth.

But it was getting closer and closer with no signs of slowing down.

There was nowhere to run though. No point.

Closing his eyes, Mordecai quietly made peace with dying.

It was a bit alarming how easy that was for him to do.

But he wasn’t going to die today. A booming yell and a loud noise of meat slamming on rock made him open his eyes just in time to watch fist demolish skull as he landed painfully flat on his ass. Raising his arms to barely block the disgusting splash of brains and blood from getting on his face.

“Augh…” Mordecai flicked his wrists hard, splattering the remains at his feet, “Disgusting…”

“Sorry,” Brick chuckled as the smashed up skag collapsed on the ground with another slam, walking over and holding out a gore covered fist to try and help Mordecai up, “One of the lil’ ones was biting me. But I got it!”

Looking behind Brick he could see every skag dead in the distance. All of them punched to smithereens by Brick or ripped up by Bloodwing.

And Mordecai hadn’t even taken down the big guy by himself.

The proud look on Brick’s face pissed him off even more but as much of an asshole as he knows he is… Mordecai’s not a fuckin’ ingrate.

Rejecting the bloody help, Mordecai pushed himself up with a begrudging, “Thanks.”

Brick took no offense to the flat and emotionless gratitude or the rejection of his hand. Almost seeming surprised himself by how nasty it was, trying to wipe it off on his pants, “No problem. Can’t have my buddy get eaten.”

Buddy. Even Brick noticed the disgusted lip curl at that, cheerful pride at getting to be the big ol’ hero quickly turning into disappointment.

But Mordecai stuck to his guns, last thing he wanted was for the guy’s decision that he was a little weakling that needed rescuing to take even more root.

Looking to the car in the distance, Mordecai had to admit that even with his dedication to be standoffish he wasn’t crazy about continuing to look at the hangdog look Brick was giving him, “It’s getting dark, let’s set up camp out by the ridge. There’s a little area already set up.”

Obediently, Brick stomped off to get their gear.

Swooping down, Bloodwing demanded his good boy pets for a job well done which Mordecai was happy to oblige. Happily scratching at his neck and cooing that he was a good boy.

Unaware of Brick looking back at that sight. Observing curiously.

\- - -

Their campfire dinner had been the most uncomfortable thing that Mordecai had ever had the displeasure of experiencing.

Without Lilith and Roland there to fill the silence there was nothing but silence. Brick occasionally breaking it to try and ask Mordecai a question that he’d answer in as few words as possible.

Brick also seemed disappointed that Mordecai barely touched the food he made. Of course the guy fucking cooks too. Dragged over one of the less battered skag corpses and made it surprisingly edible. Not that that changed Mordecai’s meager eating habits. However, Bloodwing, the world’s biggest stupid traitor bird, ate most of Mordecai’s meals remains to Brick’s delight.

Maybe Mordecai could have enjoyed the silence if Brick hadn’t decided to sit so close to him and still, even now, the guy just kept staring at him. He was trying to be sneaky about it, probably, but he was awful at hiding it.

Most of the time it was just this annoying scowl he always had on his face but sometimes it looked like he wanted to say something. Probably some joke about his size and his bird eating more than him or something. It was always fucking something.

Brick was just the latest in the long line of big ol’ bruisers who thought Mordecai was just a scrawny bastard with a bird playing Vault Hunter.

God, it was why he’d avoided groups all this time, it was always this in the end.

Why the hell had he broken that lone wolf streak now?

Whatever. Brick’ll pass out and he could… leave. Be alone again like he’s supposed to.

Looked like the dude was getting tired too, done eating and just quietly watching the sun go down.

“Sunset’s real pretty,” Brick mused, half to himself.

No shit, it’s a sunset.

“Getting late, I’m going to bed,” Mordecai grumbled, getting up to get into the thankfully quite large tent.

He’d been hoping that Brick would stay outside and keep his empty little mind preoccupied with the pretty, pretty sunset but he followed. Still primarily interested in remaining lodged as far up Mordecai’s ass as physically possible.

Mordecai nearly banged his head on the hanging lantern, ducking to get to his half of the tent. There wasn’t a ton of room on the inside but mercifully Mordecai managed to get his bedroll decently far away from Brick’s. Putting down his bag between them to give himself even more of a barrier away from the dude.

Armor dropping to the ground, another unpleasant part of this single tent arrangement was that he’d have to sleep in his clothes. Now lightly splattered with blood.

Thankfully most of it was on the outer layers and at least the bottom layer of his clothes were fairly comf- oh great, apparently Brick has a lot less reservations about sleeping half naked around people. Shirt already crumpled on the ground and pulling off his belt.

Paused dead still, Mordecai glaring at him over his shoulder, “You better not be thinking about sleepin’ naked.”

“No,” Brick’s defensive tone unconvincing.

“Pants stay on.”

The grumble in response said that wasn’t the original plan.

Brick stuck to it though, nothing if not good at listening to orders. Honestly kinda of surprising. But Mordecai wasn’t complaining, at least about that, as he had a bigger problem he hadn’t really considered.

Mordecai wouldn’t say he’s incredibly secretive about his face. It was an almost painfully normal one, to be honest, nothing to be proud or ashamed of. But the mask did keep people at a distance he liked though.

Can’t sleep in it though. He’s passed out in it before a couple times and knows it’s absolutely not worth it.

Brick’s incessant staring continued, visible just out of the corner of his eye and only getting more interested as it became obvious the mask wasn’t staying on. Intently watching Mordecai undo the back of his mask to pull it off with that same empty scowl as always.

It was amazing to Mordecai that whatever crass insults the man was thinking had yet to be vocalized.

Mordecai tried to keep his back to Brick as much as he could as he dropped the mask onto the pile with the rest of the armor but the man was so obviously craning his neck, trying to get a look at his face. Even as he sat down, trying to take down his ponytail in peace Brick kept staring at him.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

Whipping around, Mordecai barked at him, “What’s your fucking problem?!”

Brick jerked back like he wasn’t four times his tentmate’s size, with a dumb, “What?”

“You just keep STARING at me, what the fuck do you want?!” Mordecai jabbed a finger at him, “You wanna say something, big man? You got a problem with me?! Spit it out, pendejo!”

Maybe directly challenging the man who could very easily rip him in half while within grabbing distance in the middle of the desert by a cliff wasn’t Mordecai’s smartest move but it was the one he’d made.

Luckily for him, Brick’s only response to this was to give him the most painfully confused kicked dog look. Jaw dropped at the sudden, violent outburst from the formerly quietly grouchy man. Looking down at the mat he was lying on for a second before looking back up and answering.

“I just think you’re cute.”

Whatever Mordecai had expected Brick to say it wasn’t that.

Now it was his turn to be frozen in place by shock and confusion, “... what?”

“I think you’re cute,” Brick repeated, not a man of poetic wording, “I like you.”

The look he was giving Mordecai right now said he thought this was obvious. Surprised that it wasn’t. Running the events so far in his mind Mordecai… was feeling pretty fucking stupid right now.

Brick hadn’t been trying to intimidate him.

He’d been trying to impress him.

And Mordecai’s response had been to be a massive fucking asshole about it, leaving him with only the baffled question of, “Why?”

“I ‘unno,” was Brick’s simple answer, still looking deflated over at Mordecai as he laid on his side of the tent. Awkwardly rambling off a fairly random list, “I like long hair. You’re nice to your bird? I like animals. Your bird’s cute too. You’re tall and skinny so I don’t gotta look too far down but I can still pick you up. Grumpy people are cute. I like your face too.”

Last of the rambling bullet points was accentuated by pointing at the newly exposed face which was now stuck in a state of disbelief.

Mordecai… didn’t really have an answer to that. A possibility he hadn’t even considered, just sitting there feeling like the biggest idiot on Pandora.

But Brick took the stunned silence as a rejection, crunching down in shame even more and starting to roll over, “Nevermind...”

“No, no,” Mordecai reached out, grabbing his shoulder and stopping him from turning away, “Don’t… I just… really didn't expect that. Just thought you’ve been tryin’ to… I dunno, push me around? Be the big guy? Intimidate me or somethin’. Start a fight?”

Brick laughed at that, “You think I play mind games? Me? I start a fight I start a fight. I FINISH a fight. Just-”

He punched a fist into his other hand.

God, it really was stupid to assume a graceless man such Brick was going to start a fight in literally any way other than punching someone in the face.

Maybe Mordecai deserved a punch in the face.

Choking down his pride, Mordecai did something he rarely does. Apologize.

“Hey, uh, I’m sorry I was an asshole. Just… really thought you were tryin’ to start something. Usually when a guy like you’s starin’ at a guy like me, they're not lookin’ to make friends.”

“It’s okay,” Brick propped his head up with a smile back on his face, “So?”

“So what?”

“You like me too?”

The look on Brick’s face was one of dumb hope. Somehow thinking that Mordecai could have gone from yelling at him to just as enamored as he was over the course of maybe ten sentences.

“I mean, until like five minutes ago I thought you were trying to pick a fight,” Mordecai replied, “And uh, I’m still kinda reeling from… all that. Never really had anyone tell me they think I’m cute either. Let me think about it for a while, give you an answer later, alright?”

“Sounds good,” Brick grinned with just one last little push, “Think I’m cute at least?”

Mordecai answered before he could even think about the weight of what he was saying, giving Brick the first smile of his he’d ever seen, “Maybe if you keep smilin’ like that and calling me cute too.”

Brick more than accepted that answer, looking downright elated, “Can do!”

“We really should get to bed though,” Mordecai kneeled up and clicked off the lantern, “Still got a lot of stupid stuff to do tomorrow. Collect some fuckin’... flowers or some dumb bullshit.”

“Alright, night, Mordy.”

For a second, Mordecai considered correcting him. Hated nicknames.

But he didn’t.

“Night, Brick.”


	4. A Siren’s Machinations

Mordecai woke up first, he always did. Never been someone to sleep in unless he was nursing a hangover and unfortunately today he wasn’t. Or well, fortunately? Rather would have been drunk last night.

Maybe drunk Mordecai would be have been less of an assho- ah, who was he kidding drunk Mordecai would have handled that whole thing way worse.

He rolled his head over to look at Brick, still out cold.

Sleep cuddler, that made sense. Pillow absolutely smashed into his massive chest, apparently more vital to sleeping than the uncomfortable angle his neck was cricked at.

The question of ‘is Brick cute? could he like Brick back?’ was now something he had to actively think about. Big guy was expecting an answer and no doubt really hoping it was a positive one.

He supposed the snuggling was ‘cute’ but uh… man, could Brick probably snap him in half doing that.

Mordecai wasn’t tremendously into muscleheads but anyone would have to admit that Brick had an impressive if slightly terrifying physique. Trying to put aside his weird feelings towards being the smaller half of a relationship for the first time in his life he supposed he could get into that. 

Might even be nice, feel all safe and loved and shit.

Or, you know, it could continue to aggravate his newfound Napoleon complex.

Man, he really didn’t know what to make about not being on eye level or higher than someone else, did he?

Didn’t help that Mordecai hadn’t dated a ton of people over the course of his life. Never really had a hell of a lot of options, honestly. Looking like he does and, more importantly, ACTING like he does.

Not to mention not only had last night been the first time anyone had directly called adult him cute but specifically mentioned finding his grumpiness cute instead of an obstacle to climb over. God help him if Mordecai knew how someone watching him complain about everything under the sun could be endearing but it was in his favor, he supposed.

Honestly, he’d long ago assumed he was going to die alone. Made his peace with it. He’d tell you it’s a happy peace but deep down you’d both know it was a lie.

It left him with a weird inability to identify the weird twisting feeling in his gut as “excited by the prospect of romance.” Having feelings again, like some kinda fourteen year old kid. You remember feelings, right?

But he wasn’t a person prone to throwing himself into relationships on a whim, not anymore. That had burned him more than once in the past. Had a few scary exes.

And Brick… yeah, Mordecai didn’t want someone that intimidating to be a future scary exe.

It was like the man had sensed the appraising stares, snuggling into the trapped pillow even more. Even asleep determined to win over his target.

‘Well, that’s cute at least’ was Mordecai’s half thought before the half-naked giant started waking up.

He quickly pretended to still be asleep.

It wasn’t terribly convincing but luckily for Mordecai if there’s one thing Brick isn’t known for it’s “being smart” or “looking into things.” Just silently accepting his tentmate being out cold without question.

Mordecai just listened to him shuffle around the tent. Get his clothes back on, get out of the tent.

For a while, he contemplated using this as an excuse to pretend to wake up and get a little more time to collect his thoughts before being confronted with the man who now was undoubtedly going to be more friendly and touchy and even more eager to please. Like a big dumb dog, following him around.

That was definitely an angle Mordecai had to consider. Brick’d be high maintenance when it comes to attention and Mordecai’s never been all that affectionate.

Well, with a human. Never seemed to mind taking time out of his day for Bloodwing.

Speaking of, he could hear him outside. If he had to take a guess by the cheerful squawking noises he was getting snacks off of whatever Brick was presumably making for breakfast. A point in Brick’s favor, most people are too scared of Bloodwing to try and feed him.

Still a feathery traitor though. Regardless of whether Mordecai decided to pursue Brick or not apparently his bird was going to cozy up to big motherfucker anyways.

Hearing the tent flap open again instantly hit him with the smell of food. Leftovers from yesterday, reheated.

Oh another strike against Brick was ‘expects him to eat.’

Even though he would have preferred to be alone with his thoughts for a while longer it wasn’t like he could ignore a hand the size of his fuckin’ rib cage shaking him awake. Mercifully not too roughly.

Could have won a Razzie for his shit performance of pretending he hadn’t been asleep, cartoonishly rubbing at his eyes with a grouchy, “What?”

Anyone else would have hesitated at that but not Brick, holding out a plate of food to him, “I made you breakfast.”

“Thanks,” Mordecai grumbled, taking the plate before the insistent prodding could accidentally drop it on him. Looking at it at least Brick had managed to get the message of ‘Mordecai doesn’t eat much’ with easily a fourth of the amount of food a normal person his size should be eating.

Before Mordecai could contemplate how to eat only a couple bites of this before disposing of the rest he unfortunately watched Brick sit down. Great, he’s gonna stay in the tent.

Mordecai always hated people watching him eat and this was no exception. At least if he shovelled it in quickly it was over, placing the paper plate on the ground afterwords and resisting his natural rude urge to make an excuse to leave. Deciding on simply checking his equipment instead.

Even though Brick was also fiddling around with the meager contents of his own bag it was obvious he was just fishing for conversation, an excuse to get to know Mordecai more. And it was almost like he seemed to know the one and only topic you can get into to gain his approval without question.

“Bloodwing’s real cute,” Brick acted interested in folding clothes which most certainly had never been folded before in their life, “Real sharp though, how’d you get him?”

“Wanted a bird I could train to attack things so I just… went to where they were and searched nests until I found one that was overstuffed. Hide and took one when the mama bird flew off to get food. Never even noticed she was down one.”

“So you hatched ‘im,” Brick watched the tent flap suddenly come under assault, Bloodwing seeming to sense he was being talked about, “Makes sense. ‘Course he likes you, you’re his daddy.”

“I’m not his ‘daddy’,” Mordecai protested, uncut drastically as he lifted the flap to let the bird awkwardly walk-slash-hop into the tent. Making a beeline to curling up on his lap and making content cooing noises, quite happy to be full of leftover skag.

“I dunno, Bloodwing’s lookin’ like a cute happy baby right now,” Brick laughed, Bloodwing seeming insistent on backing up the other man by gently tugging at one of Mordecai’s dreads again. His favorite way to show affection.

“Bloodwing kills people.”

“You can kill people and be cute,” Brick already looked proud of his next words, “I mean, just look at you.”

Again. It’s been well over thirty years since the last time anyone called Mordecai cute and now he’s gotten it twice within a single day.

As much as he tried to crush down the smile, it was still obvious. Brick delighted at that.

Trying to change the subject, Mordecai looked down at the list Roland had ripped in half for them.

Flowers, T.K. Baha really wanted a bunch of mercs to collect flowers.

\- - -

“This is stupid,” Mordecai grumbled, roughly snatching one of the plants over a skag corpse, “I’m a contract killer not a flower girl in one of those sappy Eden-2 novels.”

“You read those?” Brick curiously pried, much less annoyed with their current task.

The sharp ‘no’ was unconvincing in its defensiveness, only making Brick laugh.

“Shut up,” Mordecai growled, “Just get this dumb shit done, get back to the others.”

“I dunno I’m kinda havin’ fun. Killin’ skag, pickin’ flowers. Hangin’ out with you.”

Last sentence was punctuated by another hopeful look from the man, hoping to get even a single scrap of validation back from Mordecai. But he wasn’t going to give up the fight that easily.

“You’re real easy to please, you know that right?”

Brick shrugged, “People like that. Sometimes.”

Even though his brain wanted to throw back a barb at that, Mordecai restrained himself.

God, there was such a looming weirdness to this now. He wasn’t used to trying to be nice to people, hadn’t really had a reason to until now. But, hell, even if he decided he didn’t like Brick back… man, not a lot of people like him. Not like he can even start being a dick to him now.

A person he’s permanently stuck not being mean to. What a personal hell.

And that didn’t even count if he did decide he likes the behemoth back. Jesus, how old was he the last time he had a relationship... twenty-eight? Twenty-six?

Man, fuck, had it really been over a decade?

Why the hell would anyone even like him? Even back then he’d been baffled by it. Now it was even more confusing as he’s only gotten older, uglier and more unfriendly as time passed.

Brick was especially weird in this regard. At least all Mordecai’s previous relationships had been other cynical, miserable people. Made sense. Just didn’t want to die alone.

But Brick… despite the permanent scowl carved into his skull he was apparently a friendly dude hellbent on being likable. Didn’t have a reason to need to stoop to Mordecai’s depressing level even if he did, for whatever reason, find him attractive.

Well that part made sense, he guessed. Neither of them was exactly going to be winning any beauty contests anytime soon. An equal playing field.

Mordecai was abruptly dragged out of his brooding by a slightly pointy circle of flowers being dropped over his head. Barbs poking his neck just barely, as the newly made flower necklace hung just below the edge of his mask. A weirdly childish show of affection.

Brick just laughed at the dazed look Mordecai was giving him, like he’d dropped a flashbang instead of a slightly uncomfortable version of a daisy chain. Of course he had a matching one on and a much tinier one was in his hand though.

“Why the hell can a big bruiser like you even make these?”

“I got four sisters.”

Jeez, big family. Couldn’t relate, only child. Mercifully.

“Hey get Bloodwing down here,” Brick sounded excited, the small ring in his hand betraying exactly why he wanted to see the bird.

“He’s not gonna let you put that on him,” Mordecai shook his head but lifted his arm with a whistle anyways, willing to humor the man, “You can TRY but he’s prolly gonna bite you. Or worse.”

“Nah, he ain’t gonna bite me” Brick watched the bird swoop down and land, looking at him curiously, “We’re friends.”

As much as Mordecai expected a sharp nip from the bird the second anything was brought near his head… instead the little bastard just let him do it. Helped him even, feathers going down a bit to let the weird flower collar on.

God, he was like a weird, beefy Snow White. Bloodwing craning his head back like he normally only did for Mordecai himself, Bloodwing even let Brick- a guy the bird’s known for maybe a couple days- scratch his neck.

Initially he took the weird jealousy as Brick smooched his bird on the wrinkly lil’ head as ‘why does my bird like someone else?’ but it quickly dawned on him that emotion was triggered a bit more by ‘where’s my kiss?’ instead.

Gotta cram that down, Mordecai was NOT answering in under a day. Hell, just last night he’d been ready to fight the dude. he’s just over eager and lonely and…

Man, Mordecai was feeling really pathetic right now.

It was isolation. Not used to being alone with another human being. They had to get out of here before his stupid little sunbaked mind got any more stupider. Fucking idiot shitbrain wanting to feel emotions. Addicted to endorphins like a fool.

“C’mon, let’s get back to T.K.,” Mordecai quickly changed the subject, sending Bloodwing off with a little nudge to Brick’s disappointment, “There’s a few more things to do in the Arid Badlands, they won’t take long. Then go find Lilith and Roland.”

And not be alone. Which apparently makes Mordecai stupid now.

Brick looked a bit disappointed for a second before forcing himself back to neutral, “Alright, sounds good.”

\- - -

Apparently the stupidity was spreading because Mordecai found himself almost happy to see Roland and Lilith outside Fyrestone. Like they were friends or something.

It was fairly short lived though as she hopped out of the runner and made a beeline with her arms out, very obviously going for a hug.

Oh fuck no, don’t even think about it, girlie. But it was as simple as a half step behind Brick who was an excellent meat shield, being approximately four times his size. Also, very, very open to getting a hug, apparently.

Lilith squealed loudly as she was picked up with absolutely no effort, sitting on Brick’s arm and laughing as she looked around on eye level with the giant, “Holy shit, is that what it’s like up here? I could get used to this. How much would it cost to just get carried around like this all day because I’ll pay it.”

For a second it looked like Brick was contemplating it before a slightly jealous looking Roland rolled up, “Probably, uh, not the best for combat scenarios.”

Lilith just patted Brick’s shoulder in response, “Get him too.”

“No, don’t-” was all Roland got out before being scooped up just as easily despite being twice her size, although having way more objections to this as he failed to push away with a resigned, “Alright, alright, you won, put me down.”

“Do we even weigh ANYTHING to you?” Lilith chuckled.

“No, it’s like holding a couple of grapes,” Brick answered, nothing making this more obvious than Roland’s quiet but notable attempts to try and break free of his grasp.

But Brick wasn’t a person to restrain someone who obviously didn’t want to be held, letting the embarrassed soldier drop to the ground and quickly back away to ensure his continued freedom, “C’mon, put Lilith down and let’s get into town. Maybe have a barbeque or something.”

“I don’t wanna be down…” Lilith griped as she was dropped back to the ground, pouting at Roland, “Killjoy.”

“Maybe I just wanted a turn,” Roland quickly grabbed her. This time it was more of an ungraceful squawking noise as Roland got her in a much more awkward, uncomfortable fireman’s carry. But despite this and despite her squirming she was downright giggling like a schoolgirl.

“You guys all suck!” Lilith looked at everyone upside down, “I can’t retaliate! You’re all too big!!”

“Ain’t our fault you're teeny,” Mordecai still stayed at a distance, even as he dared to make a joke, “Shoulda specced into brawling instead of brain melting.”

“Hey, you can do both!” Lilith retorted, giving up and dangling over Roland’s shoulder helplessly, “I’m sure somewhere out there is a siren who doesn’t need her powers to punch your head clean off. They just make it look cooler when she does.”

“Well, unfortunately for you, you’re not her,” Roland started walking, trying desperately to hide that it was significantly more effort for him to carry her than it had been for their giant companion.

Turning to walk away, Roland gestured for the other two to follow him into town.

As much as Mordecai hadn’t wanted a hug from Lilith and as loathe as he would be to admit it… much like when he saw Brick smooch Bloodwing on the head he couldn’t help but feel another hit of ‘why don’t I get to be pick up and carr- oh, no, alright, fuck, it’s happening.

This was the second time Mordecai had end up crushed against Brick’s side, sitting on his arm, lifted off the ground with ease. This time a bit more of a willing party to this than being caught while falling. Not that he’d let his face show it, even as Brick grinned hopefully over at him.

It was more than enough for Brick that Mordecai let himself put his arms around his lack-of-neck and settle in though.

Ahead of them, that didn’t go without notice. Even with the woman looking at them upside down, still dangling off Roland like yesterday’s hunt.

“Hey Roland, look at Brick and Mordy,” she patted his chest jerking her head in their direction.

Obediently, Roland stole a glance, “Looks like it worked, friends now. You happy?”

“I changed my mind.”

“What the hell does that mean? You want ‘em to be enemies?”

“No, no, I want ‘em to be boyfriends,” Lilith laughed, “C’mon, they’d be cute together, right? I’m not crazy.”

A statement, not a question but it was certainly raising the latter in Roland, “I mean… you know what, nah, you’ve lost me on this one. Just barely got Mordecai tolerating Brick and you want ‘em smooching? Not even our business.”

“It’ll be fun!” Lilith insisted, “Ohhh we could go on double dates!!”

“Or we could go on singular dates.”

“Both! Let’s do both.”

Roland sighed but gave into the insistent patting on his chest, Lilith’s only current form of retaliation, “I’m not really the sort to play matchmaker but if you want my help…”

With some difficulty, Lilith managed to plant a kiss on his cheek, “Who’s my favorite disgraced Atlas soldier?”

“I am,” Roland replied, a flat singsong to it.


	5. Getting What You Deserve

Every single night that passed left Mordecai being stared at with bright, hopeful eyes as Brick awaited his answer.

For Mordecai it was a weird distraction. He knew it was just a matter of “just get to know the guy then decide if you like him, like a normal person” but he also knows he’s never been a normal person. He’s a weird solitary dude with a non-human best friend and has been since he was born.

A non-human best friend he’d made by observing wildlife in their natural habitat until he could safely approach and steal an egg.

And now he was kind of doing the exact same thing to Brick. Sans… egg stealing.

Except he had to be somehow even more careful not to be seen. Anytime he was spotted it was a little bit of hope in Brick’s eyes and he didn’t want to lead the dude on. Both because of potential retaliation and because man, he just didn’t wanna smash the dude’s feelings, you know? He’s just apparently a lot less of a dick if someone has a crush on him, huh.

Observing him over time it seemed like the latter was more of a concern. The man shrugged off Mordecai’s general cynicism, even anything shutting him down, without any aggression.

Mordecai was starting to wonder if the overt friendliness was overcompensation for being scary as fuck. Subconsciously. Dude definitely wasn’t thinking about it that hard.

Internally, Mordecai was keeping a pros and cons list in his head.

Pros? Someone actually likes him. Someone nice. Someone who likes his bird and his bird likes him back. In some way he kinda… liked that the dude was a bit dumb. Kinda cute.

Cons? Scary, intense dude. Hasn’t known him for more than a week or so. Could easily get tired of the complaining long term. Very affectionate, definitely was going to expect that back. Easily could be trying to love the grumpy out of him. Was always trying to like… take care of him and shit. Keeps handing him food and then watching expectantly.

Between those two things might be looking to ‘fix’ him.

Mordecai doesn’t want to be ‘fixed’.

It probably wasn’t worth the hassle, he should just turn Brick down have it be the end of it. Stop prolonging this bullshit for the both of them.

Tonight they were heading to New Haven. Just tell him there. It’d be easier to give him space if he wants then, Lilith’ll probably try to room them up together there but at least there’ll be other apartments he can stay in.

Speaking of, what the hell was up with Lilith? Girl has been leaving them alone more and more, saying they should hang out while her and Roland go do god knows what. What kinda date can you even go on in the Arid Badlands. Bangin’ behind a rock? They were so far away from the populated parts of Pandora right now.

But New Haven. There. That’s where he’d end this.

\- - -

“Alright, today’s the big day!” Lilith happily smacked Mordecai in the face with a pillow.

He’d been awake for a long time but been avoiding getting up. Didn’t make him any less angry though. Jerking up and ripping the pillow out of her hands, he growled at her, “Try that again, see if my bird doesn’t rip your fuckin’ arm off.”

“Bloodwing sleeps outside,” Lilith answered, moving to the side and rolling up her bedroll, “Besides, you’re not gonna take off my arm over a pillow fight.”

“Try me again and find out,” Mordecai rolled back over and pulled the threadbare blanket over his head.

Staying in Fyrestone was his least favorite. Piled all into one long, empty building. Sleeping in the same room, all in a row on the ground like a bunch of boy scouts at camp. Him sandwiched between Brick and Lilith. One of them a sleep cuddler always on the dangerous cusp of snuggling right up to him. The other? A painful, dangerous sleep brawler.

Although Mordecai supposed he should be very, very grateful which was which because Lilith’s sharp punches to his chest in the dead of night were definitely a lot less deadly than if Brick was the one taking a swing.

However, Lilith’s true power came in the form of “weaponized morning person.”

While she’d temporarily given up on waking up Mordecai he was still disturbed by her waking up the others after finishing picking up after herself.

Roland took it agreeable enough, grumbling awake instantly and pretty much taking care of the rest himself.

But as she stepped over him, he knew the most obnoxious part was to come.

Because Brick sleeps like… well, a brick. If he doesn’t want to be up, he doesn’t want to be up.

Lilith grabbed him by one massive shoulder with both hands, shaking as hard as she could, “Heeeyyyyy big guy, wake up! Up and at ‘em! You’ve got living creatures to punch to itty bitty smithereens!!”

He didn’t move a considerable muscle. Out cold.

“Augh,” Lilith smacked him in the bare chest a few times, “C’mon, one of you guys help me get him up.”

“That’s all on you,” Roland laughed, “You’re the one who wants us up at the asscrack of dawn.”

Mordecai’s response to the nudge she was giving him was rolling over again with another, “Fuck off.”

“You guys suck,” Lilith stuck out her tongue before continuing her tirade on the knocked out bruiser, “Come on, Brick. I think I saw a dog outside! Don’t you wanna pet the doggy?”

Still nothing.

Exasperated, Lilith threw up her arms and gave him a few light kicks in the side, “Up! People to be, places to do! Come ON!”

Last kick was a little bit harder than intended but at least it did the job. Not in the way she would have liked though. Jolting him awake, knocking her right over onto Mordecai, firm grip on her ankle as he sat up, looking around for danger that wasn’t there.

“Get the FUCK off of me,” Mordecai shouldered her roughly and scrambled away, “Fine, fuck, I’m UP. You happy?!”

He wasn’t the only thing up, Lilith screaming as she was hoisted by a none-too-happy to be roughly woken up Brick. Dangling from one ankle inelegantly, tattoos glowing in alarm, “Augh, this is what I get for helping?!”

“Don’t kick me,” Brick warned with a sharp point, his scowling face actually accurate for once, “How’d you like it if I kicked you awake?”

“It’d kill me, probably,” Lilith joked, incorrigible even be dangled like a freshly caught fish.

The warbled noise she made as she was shook like a bully’s victim looking for pocket change got her to humble up a bit, a jiggly, “Fine, fine! I’m sorry! Put me down!”

With a quiet ‘oof’ she was dropped harmlessly onto the mat, a crumpled mess of limbs.

The weird raspy noise from Mordecai was so weird and unexpected it took a second for any of them to even register it as laughter. Realizing he’d actually gotten the grumpy bastard to laugh lit up Brick’s face like Christmas but Lilith was a little less than excited about that prospect.

“Augh, don’t encourage that,” she uncurled, lying spread eagle, “I feel like a snow globe.”

Roland laughed as he helped her up, “You poked the bear.”

“Well the bear wouldn’t wake up from hibernation,” Lilith pouted, letting herself be picked up and dangled by the armpits, “And I want to get going. Looks like there’s a storm coming and I don’t want to get stuck halfway to New Haven. Runners don’t exactly have roofs.”

“She does have a point,” Roland looked out of one of the tiny windows, “Maybe we should wait it out here.”

“No, no, I want to get to New Haven,” Lilith whined, scrambling to her feet only to squat and start packing up the rest of her stuff, “What if this storm is a weeklong thing? Fyrestone isn’t exactly the most accommodating place. I mean, unless you guys LIKE sleeping on the floor in one big room.”

Looking between themselves they all knew that wasn’t a pleasant option. New Haven would have rooms with beds and god, maybe even a place where they could get food that wasn’t from a can or hunted with their own two hands.

“She’s got a point, let’s get going,” Roland nodded, nobody else being told twice to pack up their shit.

\- - -

Lilith and Roland were already climbing into their runner, idley chatting when Mordecai groggily made his way out. Having been bullied by Brick into letting the giant man carry his stuff for him.

Didn’t like that. Brick doing nice things like that were only going to make it harder for Mordecai to reject him when the time comes.

Then again so was talking to him, but Mordecai was apparently chock full of bad decision making lately and that wasn’t stopping him, “A lot grumpier when someone else wakes you up, huh?”

“Everyone always goes right to hittin’ me,” Brick scratched at the side Lilith’d kicked him in as they walked towards their respective runner, “Think it don’t hurt me. And I mean, it don’t, but I still don’t like it.”

“There a trick to wakin’ you up?”

Brick laughed, “A kiss.”

“Bullshit,” Mordecai smiled despite himself, “First you’re a beefy Snow White cozyin’ up to my bird and now you’re a shredded Sleeping Beauty?”

“What can I say,” Brick shrugged with a grin, as he loaded the gear in the back, “I’m the prettiest princess.”

For the second time in a single morning, Mordecai found himself cackling. Feeling betrayed by his own brain, especially as once again Brick was absolutely shining with glee at that. Failing to pull away as Brick put a hand around his shoulder and pulled him closer, “You got a real cute laugh, do it more.”

That word again. Cute.

He could cut this off now. He should cut this off now.

As clinical as his lists were he was, in fact, a human being with erratic emotions as much as he was desperately trying to ignore that fact.

But he wasn’t left to ruminate on that for too long, Lilith calling out to them, “You guys almost ready?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming, hold onto your ass,” Mordecai yelled back, Bloodwing yelling above to seemingly echo his sentiments. Or possibly betrayal again, agreeing with Lilith.

Another counterpoint to his intent to turn Brick down was the way he let the man help him up into the gunner’s seat.

The biggest betrayal was he didn’t really want any of this to actually stop either.

\- - -

A couple hours later and they were being pelted, Roland’s plan of staying in Fyrestone and waiting out the storm sounding more and more like what they should have done.

But they didn’t and now they were closer to New Haven than they were to there so it was truly a moot point.

Brick and Mordecai were just barely able to keep following Roland and Lilith, rain pelting down so thick they could just barely see the lights of the car. Mordecai really didn’t like that he couldn’t see Bloodwing above, only knowing the bird was nearby by his annoyed screams.

They couldn’t talk to each other let alone call the other two, them only knowing they were stopping by seeing the other car zag suddenly to the side by the entrance to a cave.

As awful as the idea of sleeping in a cave was, anything was better than continuing to be pelted violently by water. Even if the cave was still kind of dank and craggly.

Mordecai didn’t even begin to protest being pulled out of the seat and half thrown over Brick’s shoulder. Vaguely impressed by the fact the man managed to carry all their soaked stuff underneath his other arm. Maybe he was even letting himself cling to the guy and it was only partially out of a vague fear of the wind blowing him away.

It felt like stepping out of a lake when they entered the cave.

Being set gently on the ground, Mordecai swore loudly and poorly tried to wring out his shirt, “Fuck this shitty planet…”

Roland was crouched on the ground, smacking the portable lantern that was flickering and threaten to drop them into darkness, “Hey, there’s shittier.”

“Fuck, one second,” Mordecai growled, turning back towards the mouth of the cave. Everyone thinking he’d just lost his mind before hearing him yelling and whistling into the storm, “BLOODWING. BLOODWING, GET DOWN HERE.”

Curiously Lilith peeked out past him, “Do you see him?”

“Fuck, no,” Mordecai swore, “I’m goin’ out there.”

While Roland and Brick could toss her around like a ragdoll, Mordecai was a bit too scrawny for that. Lilith tightly grabbing his wrist and forcibly dragging him further back into the cave, “Woah there, killer, you want to die out there? Bloodwing’s been in storms before, right?”

They were matched pretty evenly in strength, Mordecai nearly able to drag Lilith back out towards the front, “Yeah but this-”

“He’ll be fine,” Lilith looked to Roland for help, the soldier thankfully quickly jumping up to help drag Mordecai back inside, “He’s a bird and as far as you’ve described basically a wild one. He’s probably just holed up in a different cave. Soaked but safe.”

Roland getting a grip on him forced him further back, dragged past Brick who he shot a ‘help me’ look while the soldier spoke, “She’s right, there’s no reason to go get yourself killed in a storm. I’m sure Bloodwing is alright.”

Twisting to try and get away to no avail, Mordecai dug his nails into Roland’s hand, “Fuck you, I’m gonna-”

“Mordecai!” Roland barked sternly, “We’re not going to let you die a stupid death for no reason, that’s an order.”

“No reason?! Bloodwing’s my best friend, I raised him from an egg. And an order? Do I look like one of your soldiers to you?” Mordecai sneered, “The second you let go of me-”

Lilith put a gentle hand on his shoulder, squeezing, “Just wait until the storm lets up. Nothing’s going to change if you run out there and get swept away. I’m sure Bloodwing’s alright, he’s one tough bird. C’mon, we’re your friends-”

“You’re not my friends,” he spat back, making another futile bid for freedom.

Despite her words, Lilith couldn’t hide her flinch and subsequent disappointment at that, “We… we are. We’ll look tomorrow, the storm’s not gonna last forever.”

Mordecai was still scowling at them until looking over at Brick, hoping to gain any support in this cause.

The look on his face said he wanted to just go along with Mordecai but as a sharp fork of lightning lit up the entrance and thunder crashed outside…

“I don’t like it either,” he avoided eye contact, “But Lil’ and Roland are right. Too dangerous out there an’ Bloodwing’s smart. He’s prolly safe.”

“Traitor,” Mordecai hissed at him, not even feeling bad about the kicked puppy look the man was giving him. As far as he was concerned, that was a huge fuckin’ strike against the guy. Only making his resolve to reject him in New Haven stronger.

It did make him give up though, allowing himself to be led by Roland over to the meager light of the lantern to try and wait out the storm.

\- - -

Two days. Still storming, still trapped in that godforsaken cave, still no sign of Bloodwing.

Mordecai was practically tearing his hair out at this point, not helped by the fact everyone was clearly just as uncomfortable about this situation. Didn’t help either that they didn’t have much in the way of distractions.

First day they at least had the all encompassing task of trying to get their shit dry. Everything in their bags was soaked, hung out on a makeshift clothesline between two stalactites. Stalagmites? The ground pointies. Big ones.

Turns out Brick wasn’t the only one with a lackadaisical approach to “underwear around borderline strangers”, Lilith having stripped down to her underwear with no more warning than, “If you guys make this weird just let me remind you that and I can and will melt your minds right out your skulls.”

Even Mordecai couldn’t blame her, not with every article of clothing between the four of them soaked through and through.

Wasn’t too long until Roland and Brick had followed suit, only Mordecai refusing to go below pants and shirt. No matter how wet they were. Almost like a protest to the fact they still weren’t letting him go and look for his missing bird. Annoyed that he had to take off his mask but that was…. intolerably uncomfortable to wear when wet.

It only annoyed him more as time passed, Lilith trying to turn this into some godforsaken kumbaya moment where they all connect better as friends or some dumb shit.

Even more annoying was her cuddling against Roland, insisting it was for warmth.

Granted, Mordecai was shivering pretty violently and probably should have accepted the similar offer from Brick but fuck it, he was still mad, don’t touch me. Couldn’t pretend it wasn’t tempting though, pride the only thing keeping him from letting himself contentedly snuggle into the warm mass of muscles. Man was he freezing.

And he couldn’t take it for much longer. As he watched Lilith and Roland drift off curled together he had only one thought and one thought only buzzing in his mind.

He had to find Bloodwing.

\- - -

While the other three snoozed quietly, Mordecai started quietly getting his armor and mask on. They were still damp but dry enough, not like it mattered considering they were just going to get soaked the second he stepped outside.

But his shivering was only partially from the cold, an all consuming paranoia was clawing ceaselessly at his skull.

What was he even going to do if Bloodwing was dead or gone? What the fuck would even be the point of anything then? Might as well jump off a cliff if it comes to that.

Couldn’t think like that, he’s probably just trapped somewhere.

Hungry.

It was much more of a gamble to dig through his bag due to proximity to Brick but he needed to get at the nasty canned meat in there. Bloodwing loved that shit, god knows why.

But the second he grabbed the strap of the bag to try and pull it away so he could search in peace it jolted Brick awake. Alright so the motherfucker can sleep straight through Lilith’s wake up assault but Mordecai can’t drag a bag without him snapping to attention. Great.

“What are you doing?” whispering didn’t suit Brick, not nearly as quiet as the man was obvious going for.

“Shhh,” Mordecai hushed him sharply before whispering back, “Don’t you dare try to stop me, I’m gonna go get my bird.”

He deftly dodged the grab Brick made at his arm, shooting him another dirty look that made the giant man try and fail to shrink down. Looking hangdog and also looking around like he was thinking which was an unusual thing to see from him. Mordecai didn’t like it either, probably looking for a way to stop him.

So much more quickly he shoved a few supplies into a side bag and started heading for the door before Brick could gather all three of his brain cells together to try and stop him.

Mordecai wasn’t sure why he stopped obediently at the man’s next word.

“Wait,” Brick whisper-yelled after him, “I’ll come too.”

Looking back, Mordecai wanted to drop a customary ‘fuck off’ to that but hearing the storm raging less than a few feet from him made him at least consider the possibility of letting him. Dude was already halfway dressed again.

He’d have more concerns it was a trap but considering his crush he had a feeling that Brick was just hoping to get some brownie points for playing knight in shining armor. Whatever, let him play hero if he wants to. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, Mordecai kind of needs that right now.

Mordecai hated the amount of comfort he got from Brick’s hand squeezing his shoulder almost too tight with a quiet but confident, “Let’s go find Bloodwing.”

\- - -

Pandoran storms were something out of a nightmare, screaming winds, buckets of water and lightning flashes bright enough to blind you.

Even getting out to the car was a struggle. Mordecai’d initially assumed that the massive hand that clamped onto his upper arm was just going to drag him back inside but man, if Brick hadn’t done that there was a realistic chance he would have blown away.

And Mordecai really had no plan deeper than “drive around yelling your bird’s name like a dumbass.”

After about an hour of this he was starting to see Lilith and Roland’s point.

Not that it was deterring him from his search in the least. Not like they could even find the weird obscure cave that their friends had holed up in the pelting rain again anyways. He had a feeling that if he could see his not-quite-eager travelling companion’s face he could see the dude looking to try and find it again. Probably regretting coming.

Mordecai had to admit that was making him feel like a real fucking asshole. Yeah, he was worried about Bloodwing. Of course he was, he’d fight someone for saying it but that bird was his baby.

But this? This was a borderline suicide mission and he’d taken advantage of someone having a crush on him. Brick definitely would have stayed safe if Mordecai hadn’t insisted on doing this stupid shit. Hell, Brick probably would have stayed with the others if Mordecai hadn’t been glaring him down earlier, guilting him for what was honestly the smart decision.

Great, now Brick is the one making smarter decisions than him?

Mordecai wanted to smack himself one for even thinking that sentence. What position was he in where he could act like he was better than Brick?

All the dude had ever done was be nice to him, give a shit about him, and have the audacity to somehow have a crush on him. Despite the only thing he ever got in return being a bad fucking attitude and assumptions that he trying to manipulate or take advantage of Mordecai.

But it was him. It was Mordecai. He was the fucking manipulative asshole taking advantage of Brick.

Even thinking the whole time about how he was going to turn him down, only prolonging it for personal gain.

God, he’s a piece of garbage.

Just as Mordecai was beating himself up, about to call out to Brick to just give up for a while and find another cave to hole up in, his final hoarse shout of Bloodwing’s name into the unfeeling void produced results.

There’d been a lot of times in his life where Mordecai was glad to hear Bloodwing’s distinct screech but this was probably the most comforting to date.

He didn’t even have to instruct Brick to follow the sound, the runner veering towards the source. No doubt eager to find it then get to some goddamn shelter. Thankfully, as they followed it, it was already coming from a safe place to hole up in. Hopefully.

Mordecai didn’t wait to be gently hoisted from the gunner seat, clumsily dropping to the wet ground and slamming a knee on it.

Didn’t stop him from running into the cave and ducking to get into the low entrance, sheltered deep behind a wall of rocks that would keep their runner safe too. Boots crunching on countless little bones, still with little bits of half eaten flesh stuck to them.

Once inside Bloodwing’s shrieks echoed loudly off the wall alarmingly but thankfully the bird was alright. Soaked and incredibly pissed off but alright.

The reason for his disappearance obvious as he failed to get off the ground and fly to Mordecai, bogged down by his wet feathers. Shaking them out to limited success. If he had to take a guess, the bird had repeatedly been trying to leave the cave only to get too drenched to take off.

Even now, the bird was dripping wet. Probably tried to leave when he heard Mordecai yelling for him. Awkwardly walk-hopping towards him, determined to get there one way or another.

Luckily for him, humans are a lot faster on land. Mordecai running over and scooping up the shivering bird into a weird, cradling hug. Normally Bloodwing hated being restrained like this but given the circumstances, he was mostly just preoccupied with happily warbling in Mordecai’s face and absorbing any amount of body heat he could.

For a second he was so preoccupied with fussing over the angry bird that he forgot he didn’t do this alone.

Mordecai jumped at the heavy arm around his shoulders, Brick leaning over to look closer, “We found him! Looks good just kinda… mad. Poor birdie.”

“He’s alright,” Mordecai forced himself to not sound as choked up as he was, “Lil’ bastard’s even been feedin’ himself like a big boy.”

When a massive hand reached over to pet the disheveled bird, Mordecai expected it to be met with a sharp nip but instead but instead Bloodwing leaned into it. Desperate to absorb any amount of warmth and even just sleeping next to Brick was enough to know the giant was basically a space heater.

It was a small part of why he wasn’t exactly struggling to get away from being pulled against his side. Pushing back against it, really.

Knowing in that moment, his bird wasn’t the only thing Brick had won over.

Mordecai didn’t even put up any pretenses of fighting back as he was picked up and carried like a princess to the side of the cave. One without any bones littering the ground like morbid caltrops. Brick, exhausted, slamming his back against the smooth part of the wall and sliding down to the ground.

It was nice, comforting even. Unphased by the fact both of them were still soaking wet. Mordecai letting himself lean into it, pulling Bloodwing closer as he unabashedly snuggled into the muscular chest.

Brick definitely was a fan of this, openly beaming like they hadn’t just driven through hell just to find a bird that was perfectly fine on its own.

They were quiet like this for a long time, the only sound in the cave the sound of Mordecai taking off his nasty damp mask and letting it drop to the ground with a wet slap. Just letting him get more comfortable in his first cuddle in over a decade. Infinitely better than the last time too, Brick seemingly uncaring about how bony and pointy Mordecai’s emaciated body was.

Eventually the negative thoughts about himself crept right in though, guilt wrapping itself tightly around Mordecai’s heart. Telling him he didn’t deserve to be warm and safe right now when he’d put Brick through hell for no goddamn reason.

His throat was tight as he spoke, “Hey so, uh, Brick. Thanks for… thanks for coming with me. You really didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah I did, you prolly woulda gotten blown away before you barely even left the cave.”

“No, you really didn't have to,” Mordecai insisted, “It was my stupid suicide mission and I shouldn’t have let you put yourself in danger.”

Brick’s thunderous laughter echoed in the wide open chamber, bookended by a confident, “I'd like to see you try an’ stop me from doin’ what I wanna do.”

That was true, you don’t really have a choice other than to let Brick do whatever he wants.

“Well… thanks anyways,” Mordecai repeated himself.

“You’re welcome,” Brick replied, suddenly a bit somber, “I know how it is to lose a pet, you can’t sleep until you find ‘em again. Besides, I like Bloodwing an’ I was gettin’ real nervous about him missing too.”

As if on cue, the bird squirmed around. Sharp talons digging into Mordecai’s stomach but he certainly didn’t care.

Mordecai scritched at Bloodwing’s stomach, turning his words over and over carefully in his head.

In only a few hours Mordecai’s firm belief in rejecting Brick had completely melted away, leaving behind only the cold bones that had been holding it together: a genuine belief that he didn’t deserve this.

But if it made Mordecai happy and it made Brick happy… well, Mordecai might not deserve it but who was he to deny Brick if that’s what makes him happy?

“One more thing...” Mordecai tried to sit up as best he could, still trapped between Brick’s affectionate cradling and a very, very sharp bird curled up on his lap.

A hand on his back helped with that, Brick curiously accommodating long boney arms wrapping around his neck, “Yeah?”

Awkwardly pulling himself up, Mordecai planted a short, sharp, and wildly out of practice kiss on Brick’s lips before instantly relaxing back into his strong arms. Looking away but having an embarrassed smile plastered on his face that left the old dude feeling like a stupid teen again, “I like you too.”

It took a second for Brick’s brain to clunk into place from the surprise but when it did the force with which he hugged Mordecai nearly could have snapped the man in half, lifting him enough to plant a few random, rough kisses against the side of Mordecai’s head.

Bloodwing shifted, alarmed at the sudden, repeated jostling. Letting out a warning screech that reverbated erratically against the cave walls.

Mordecai only stopping Brick with a gentle push and a rasp of laughter, “Alright, alright, you’re excited but later. When I ain’t got a big ass bird of prey nesting on my guts.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Brick grinned, not deterred from happily nuzzling into the top of Mordecai’s head at least with a sigh of content.

Mordecai might not deserve this, but Brick does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was one of the cardinal scenes that spawned this fic and I'm glad we've at least hit one of them! :3c
> 
> Also it ended up a monstrous Frankenchapter where I got distracted by "writing Lilith being cute as hell" which is pretty par for the course with me writing m/m fics. I gotta get my GIRL FIX.


	6. Fleeting Happiness

For once in his life Mordecai wasn’t annoyed by the sun glaring through the clouds, already baking Pandora back down to its customary parched state.

In part because Bloodwing was happily soaring above, screeching even more than usual in a triumphant jubilation. Even swooping low to fly alongside the runner, twisting corkscrews if Mordecai look away from him for even a second. Downright playful and giddy at his refound freedom.

Unsurprisingly Brick was over the moon and he’d made that obvious from the moment Mordecai kissed him. Didn’t even seem annoyed by how undoubtedly sore he must be from sleeping sitting up against a rock wall, Mordecai curled up on his lap the entire night. Even waking up cheery, smooching his new boyfriend awake.

That was a weird first for Mordecai but he had to admit, not the worst way to wake up. He could get used to that.

Honestly, this morning even he was relatively chipper by his own gloomy standards. Not that he’d let himself even smile as they drove back towards they would have left Roland and Lilith. But he felt… light.

While the cave would have been impossible to spot in the spot in the storm it was easy in the light, marked by the beat up runner outside. And also their friends, waiting at the mouth of the cave. Sitting and leaning on the sides. Looking annoyed.

Made both of them feel like a teen caught out too late.

Lilith made a beeline for Mordecai, correctly identifying him as the ringleader of their little expedition.

“You idiot!” she shouted, nailing him in the chest with a firm punch, “Do you have ANY idea how worried we were?!”

Mordecai was loathe to show any weakness but damn that was a solid sock, putting his hand over the sore spot with no answer other than, ”We found Bloodwing.”

“That’s nice!” Lilith sounded genuine but annoyed, “Let me guess, safe in a cave!!”

“..... maybe.”

“Exactly!”

“But Lil’ w-” Brick tried to defend Mordecai only to the response of a matching punch to the chest.

Amazingly, she managed to keep her composure firm until turning back around to walk away. Letting out a silent scream of pain as she held her now injured hand, making a pointed note in her mind of ‘never ever ever punch the wall of muscles ever again holy shit.’

It was Roland’s turn and he had no punches to dole out but his stern glare was damage enough, “What were you thinking? No, really, what the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten killed out there, you left our camp down half the guards, and for what?”

Instantly, any remaining semblances of Mordecai’s good mood melted away into the ice cold answer of, “For my bird.”

“It’s a bird, Mordecai,” Roland gestured to the creature still circling above, reveling in his freedom still, “It flies outside, it eats outside, it lives outside. I’m pretty sure it can also survive outside. You know what can’t? A couple of suicidal idiots.”

“Don’t fucking call him that,” Mordecai jerked his head towards Brick, “It was my plan, he just went along with it.”

“To keep your stupid ass alive, you b-”

Whatever continuing tirade Roland had for him was cut short by Lilith’s hand over his mouth, pulling him down to her level with a warning glare, “I get it, everyone’s mad, let’s not burn our bridges over this. Let’s just… Brick and Mordy are back, Bloodwing’s okay, let’s just go to New Haven and celebrate.”

“Don’t call me Mordy,” he cut in.

“Brick and Mooorrrrrdecai are back,” Lilith corrected herself with a tempting offer, “Seriously, let’s get going. Leave this in the past, leave it in the dust. First bar we find I’m buying?”

She fistpumped at how easily that perked Mordecai back up.

God, he could really go for a drink.

\- - -

Man, New Haven was uhh… man, it had buildings at least but wow, bit of a disappointment.

They really were in the shittiest part of Pandora, huh?

Already in their travels they’d seen brochures advertising various places around the planet, all of which looked better than then here. All of them, even Mordecai, quietly hoping that they could one day visit them.

If he was being honest, he’d tucked away a few of the pamphlets in his bag. If they found the Vault, they could go anywhere with the cash they’d bank off that. Maybe a little romantic getaway to celebrate.

Look at him, less than one day in and he was already wanting to run away with Brick.

Granted, Roland’s behavior wasn’t helping that urge. 

Not the time though, first things first. All going for the Vault on the insistence of a weird woman taking to him in his head. He’d looked around the last time the Angel’d spoken and noticed he wasn’t the only one who’d gone weirdly quiet.

He had a strong feeling that she was talking to all of them.

But fucked if he was going to ask because what if he was wrong?

That’d be a great thing to drop on everyone. I’m hearin’ and seein’ shit. She’s real I swear. Then they ditch him at the first opportunity in the middle of the desert so he can’t follow them.

Well, Brick’d probably stay with him.

That was looping right back around to his apparently newfound desire to runaway with the man. Apparently, once you cracked him open it was hard to keep all the pent up affection in. God, that somehow made him feel even more pathetic.

It felt like Brick could read his mind, affectionately just kind of…. grabbing his entire head and pulling him closer, “Starin’ in the distance, whatcha thinkin’ about?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Mordecai only glancingly making a weak effort to push Brick away, “Just lookin’ at the town.”

“Not much to it, huh,” Roland said what they were thinking, “We should be able to get a real roof over our heads at least. Grateful for that.”

Gears still quickly turning in her head, wanting both her own time alone and to play a weird little cupid, Lilith suggested, “We should still stick together. Kinda. Stay in pairs, like with the tents. Won’t be as expensive either.”

“I’m fine with that,” Mordecai answered a bit too quickly. The last of the space between him and Brick crushed as he quickly jerked a massive arm around his shoulders with a laugh, trapping him in a side hug that bordered on a headlock.

Lilith perked up at that, things going her way faster than she’d expected, “Hell yeah, Dr. Zed said that Helena Pierce is in charge of this place. I’m gonna assume that she’s in the main building, c’mon.”

\- - -

The weary, wary way Pierce’s remaining good eye criticized them was, well, piercing. Living up her surname, they supposed.

But they were non-hostiles in a place where that was the currency. Powerful ones at that and ones ready to do anything for a quick buck. A shining ideal of Pandoran Vault Hunters and Pierce was ready to milk that for everything it was worth.

If the list from the Arid Badlands had been a short story, the list from Pierce was a novel.

But that was a problem for later. Even badasses need a couple hours off to get accustomed to a new home. Said dwellings bargained for by Lilith while the rest of them started to unpack the runners of their still soaked gear.

By no means was the apartment luxury but compared to their previous accommodations of “floor” and “cave” this was a dream.

Sure the walls may be made of the same lightly rusted metal as everything in this corner of the shithole planet but they were firmly welded together. A couple windows with surprisingly intact blinds. Nice, big bed in the middle that didn’t look too much worse for the wear even if the blankets had a few small holes here and there.

Mordecai wasted no time in dropping facedown on the only slightly stained bed, his promise muffled by the pillow, “I’m never moving again.”

“Aw, we gonna have to open the Vault without you?” he could hear Brick pulling things out of his bag and presumably hanging it on one of the various wires strewn across the ceiling. 

“I’ll move for the Vault, you guys do all the little stupid shit while I just sleep forever,” Mordecai responded, remaining face down, “Bring me rakk ale, that’s all I need.”

Man, that really was what he needed. Hadn’t had more than a single drink in one go since starting this shit. Apparently it was a tightly rationed thing in Fyrestone, although Dr. Zed had told him it was much, much more plentiful in New Haven.

“Nah, I’d miss you too much,” Brick answered, “You want me to hang up your stuff too?”

“Go nuts,” Mordecai snickered, “Not like I’m gonna complain about not having to do some housework.”

“Want me to dress up like an Eden-2 housewife while I do shit for you?”

Mordecai rolled his head to the side for a second with a deadpan joke, “How did you find out about my wildest fantasy? We haven’t even...”

He trailed off that sentence with a vague, crude hand gesture as he planted his face back into the pillow.

“Speaking of…”

“Wow, first second alone and not surrounded by pieces of dead animals and Bloodwing screamin’ at us? You move fast.”

Brick laughed, “You’re the one movin’ fast, I’m just tryin’ to ask if you’re alright with this.”

He felt Brick pat the mattress.

“Yeah, it’s pretty comfy.”

“No, I mean there’s… Lilith picked rooms with just one bed.”

Mordecai rolled his head to the side again, “You gettin’ shy on me all of a sudden? Fell asleep curled up on your lap last night, this is just that but less uncomfortable. For you, at least, honestly I was pretty comfy last night. ‘Cept for Bloodwing squirming around.”

“Good to know I make a good bed,” Brick laughed again, Mordecai feeling him sit on the end of the bed, “Although thinkin’ about it you’re not the first person to tell me that.”

“Gonna make me jealous,” Mordecai nudged him with his foot, “You better not have any long lost loves or anything.”

“Nah, glad about that too. Worst thing I can think of is still lovin’ someone and they leave me.”

Mordecai finally rolled onto his back, “Well, treat me right and I ain’t goin’ anywhere. Hate messy breakups.”

“Gettin’ off topic,” Brick tugged annoyed at the rough fabric of his pants, “Just wanted to ask if I can sleep in my boxers? Hate sleeping in my jeans.”

“Oh yeah, go nuts,” Mordecai laced his hands behind his head, “I know I’m gonna be finally not sleeping in like… two layers of clothes.”

“You know,” Brick grinned, “I prefer sleepin’ naked the most.”

“Alright, now you’re getting way ahead of me,” Mordecai gave him a look, “Already know you’re a sleep snuggler, already gonna be intimidating smashed into your bare chest.”

“I mean if you don’t want to…”

“Hey, didn’t say I didn’t want to, said it would be intimidating.”

Before Brick could give some little flirt back there was an enthusiastic knocking on the door, Lilith kicking it at the bottom too, “Hey! Get out here, we’ve got shit to do!”

\- - -

“Pierce said we could have a few hours to get settled in,” Mordecai griped, annoyed at being thrust cruelly back under the Pandoran sun prematurely.

“And I say we get at least a couple things over,” Roland took the lead of the pack, looking back at them, “She said we had to get at least something done before night falls or we’re out on our asses again. This way, we don’t have to worry and we can just relax.”

“I was already relaxing,” Mordecai grumbled.

“What, were you two already getting your cuddle on when I came a knockin’?” Lilith teased, slowing down to their pace.

“About to, prolly,” Brick replied, truthfully. Unphased by the smack to the arm from Mordecai.

Lilith cackled at the supposed joke, “Alright, alright, we’ll leave you two niiiice and alone after we get back. No group dinner tonight. Everyone just have a nice, cozy romantic evening.”

“That you confessin’ you like Roland?” Mordecai deflected.

“Maaaybe,” Lilith rocked back and forth with a mischievous grin, “Maaaaaybe no-”

“There it is,” Roland cut off the banter, pointing at the band camp ahead, “We wipe that out, clean out some outcroppings… Pierce’ll be singing our praises all the way home.”

It was dingy as all bandit camps tend to be but well guarded. They were looking for a guy called One-Eyed Jack and considering the fact they’d already taken down a few bandit leaders they had a feeling this one would be no more difficult than, say, Nine-Toes.

Man, there really are a lot of bandit leaders named sheerly after their mutilations and afflictions, huh? What would they call him, Colorblind Drunk?

“Time to make rent!” Lilith sang, instantly phasing into the abyss.

For all of them, it was the first time they were fighting by the side of their other as, well, their other.

Reactions were mixed to say the least.

Roland was taking it the most neutral, knowing that you don’t get to be a siren who makes it past puberty without being a massive badass. If his girlfriend’s had a target painted on her back since childhood and made it this far? No reason to worry about her as she flashily bursts in and out of the battlefield.

Lilith was largely the same, albeit slightly more protective. A woman who’d definitely seen someone she’s cared about die. But she knows Roland’s more trained than that. Only flitting behind him at points to take out a psycho making for his back with a wink. Playful, teasing callouts betraying that small worry. Not helped by the fact Roland truly did seem to have a hell of a blind spot, directly behind him.

Brick had watched Mordecai scramble up to a safe, high place and wasn’t terribly concerned about him. Especially considering Bloodwing circling above. He was far more concerned with being as impressive as possible, punches sending people into absolute viscera confetti. Looking back at Mordecai, splattered with blood, looking for approval that he’d never be able to convey back at this distance.

And Mordecai was certainly watching although perhaps not quite to the effect he wanted. He’s always been a protective dude of all three living creatures he’s liked in his life and turns out watching one he’s known for only a couple weeks hurtling towards constant danger is a bit distressing. Just a bit.

Might be a bit less so if the giant would stop looking away from active threats to see if Mordecai had enjoyed watching him bust open the latest flesh pinata placed in front of him.

That… that was stressful.

Just as Mordecai was making a mental note to chastise his new boyfriend for that his hubris instantly became his downfall, the blade on the end of the gun sliced into Brick’s arm.

It didn’t seem to phase him though, his yell in response seeming to be one of almost annoyance, not pain as he one shot, ding ding ding we have a winner, DECIMATED One-Eyed Jack’s head.

The splatter of blood and brains to his chest didn’t phase him in the least, booming laughter echoing across the battlefield.

At the brutal decimation of their leader, what few bandits remained with a single thought in their head fled. Disappearing just as quickly as they’d appeared.

“Oh, you’re disgusting,” was Lilith’s fond quip to Brick as he lightly jogged back, “It’s all over your chest, you look like you hugged someone too hard and they popped.”

“Never tried that, c’mere,” he laughed again, making a sweeping grab at her that sailed right through her. Tricky thing, being able to become intangible. Trajectory easily rounded up Mordecai instead, walking up behind her. Smashing his face into his chest in the nastiest, bloodiest reverse motorboating.

“Augh!” Mordecai tried and failed to push Brick off, hands slipping off bloody muscles uselessly, “Gross, let go!”

“Ha, sorry, blame Lilith,” Brick let Mordecai push away and quickly wipe the gory remains off his face, “She’s the one who ducked.”

“I didn’t duck, I phased,” Lilith stuck her tongue out, gripping Roland like a shield.

Ducking, phasing, Mordecai didn’t care.

With a wet slap, he smacked his hand into the middle of Brick’s gore coated chest and swiped down. Grabbing a fistful of blood and brains to whip in Lilith’s general direction.

Bullseye, great aim even with a handful of disgusting.

It burst across her face, tongue zipping back just in time. A mask of carnage. Mordecai’s sharp bark of laughter punctuating that, a rare flash of genuine joy.

Sputtering she stepped back with a, “UGH, you almost got it in my MOUTH!!”

But while he’d hit his target, he hit a little more. And while Lilith would laugh this off in a second, the unintended target was much angrier about this.

And he didn’t say a word. Roland just silently glaring him down with a large splash of blood going from his shoulder to his forehead

\- - -

Communal showers, great, Mordecai’s favorite thing. Loves ‘em, really. Especially grimy looking, cramped ones like this.

If Roland questioned his decision to leave his underwear and undershirt on, he’d deck him. Brick… well, Brick gets a pass.

Just explain it to him later unlike their teammate, both the reasons were more personal than he wanted to get into with someone he was actively pissed off at. And frankly, he had a feeling Roland felt the same.

Unlike him, neither of the others had any issues with stripping down.

Roland quickly ducked inside, probably hoping to get in and out before either of them even got there. He definitely had a hell of a lot less blood to get off of himself, it wasn’t a stretch.

Brick playfully tugged at the strap of Mordecai’s shirt, “I see you tryin’ not to look.”

It was true, Mordecai was practically staring at the ceiling, “Call me old fashioned but I try not to see a new boyfriend’s dick in the first 90 hours of dating him.”

Already seen him stripped down to his underwear multiple times. That was already a lot to take in, especially considering Brick’s whole… everything. Mordecai’d never been a guy big on muscles but man, anyone would have to admit Brick’s build was impressive.

“S’cute,” was Brick’s reply to that, “All conservative and stuff.”

“Yeah, that’s me, Mordecai, known respectable conservative.”

Brick’s laughter seemed even louder echoing in the locker room, “C’mon, faster we get cleaned off faster we can relax. Maybe do some of that snugglin’ Lilith was talking about.”

“You gonna put something on for that?” Mordecai kept his gaze firmly locked at face level with Brick as he followed him in.

“I mean, if I gotta.”

“You gotta.”

“What’re you two talking about?”

Roland sounds accusatory, already on the outs with a towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

“None of your business,” Mordecai went to walk past, stopped in place by a firm hand on his shoulder which took him from an apathetic anger to a more active one, “What? We can’t have a private conversation now?”

“I don’t want a repeat of what happened in the Arid Badlands,” Roland replied, “You left us down by half with no warning. We were all only sleeping because of sheer numbers-”

“Told you I wanted to look for my bird,” Mordecai nodded towards a window, the creature surely perching somewhere outside the building, “Don’t think it’s all that surprising that I went and did it.”

“You took Brick with you.”

Not content to be talked about like he wasn’t there, Brick chimed in, “He woulda died out there alone.”

“And you could have died with him, you’re only a man, Brick. You’re not invincible,” Roland pointed at the gash on his arm, “If that’s what a human can do to you, imagine what a whole planet could. Pandora’s not a place for loners. Both of you remember that from now on.”

“Who you think you are, my papi?” Mordecai shouldered past him, feeling a bit of satisfaction in the fact Roland had to look up to meet his glare, “Last time I checked he was six feet under and deserved every inch.”

Like a matryoshka doll of little man syndrome, Roland didn’t terribly like that both of the men rudely shoving past him were so far above his eye level but he wasn’t about to start a naked fight with either of them. Especially Brick.

So instead of accusing them of breaking the group inelegantly in two he just left them with a final statement, “Just… remember we’re a team.”

\- - -

A team. Mordecai had never been on a team in his natural life.

Not that he hadn’t tried but he was always squeezed out in the end.

Even trying to make it as a competitive marksman as a teen. They had teams. Travelled interplanetary, made good fuckin’ money doing it. But even though he’d won they’d kicked him out just for being-

It was pointless to think about.

This was his first team and he didn’t even like half of it.

Remaining half was just he himself- also not a person he was terribly fond of- and Brick.

That was weird too. An awkward romance forged in a cave of animal corpses, on a whim of “if it makes him happy.” Not that it didn’t make Mordecai happy too but he wasn’t terribly used to being happy and it always seemed to go away much faster than it did for other people.

One of the checkmarks he’d used against Brick was a misplaced belief, or possibly a projected one, that the man would need constant affection to stay happy.

But even now he still seemed cheerful. Unphased by the rest of the days events and still happily situated on their first kiss. Man, Mordecai envied being able to feel things like that. In his mind that warm moment already felt like it was years ago.

Brick hadn’t even cared more than a few seconds after Roland exited the showers, already happily going back to flirting with Mordecai like they hadn’t just gotten into a borderline altercation with their impromptu team’s impromptu leader.

What was it like to live like that? Mordecai and everyone he’d ever dated had been a miserable bastard too trapped in their own mind to be able to feel anything but apathy and depression.

But somehow Brick could live exclusively in the moment. Guess ignorance is bliss.

Kinda nice to watch. Laying back, having quickly changed into a different set of boxers and undershirt to sleep in, watching Brick contently check each previously soaked item hanging around the room to see if they could go back in the bags yet.

For a second Mordecai wondered why he’d bother but guess when you’re 7’4” you don’t exactly want to have to duck down even further than you already have to get around the room.

“You still thinkin’ about me bein’ an Eden-2 housewife over there, Mordy? You could help, you know.”

“Nah, just gonna sit here and watch. It’s your lil’ project after all, stuff hanging around the room don’t bother me.”

Brick shook his head, “Roland’s right, you ain’t much of a team player, huh?”

“Fuck you,” Mordecai spat, immediately feeling guilty at the way Brick flinched at that. Trying to sound less hostile, “I don’t… have people around for very long. Usually.”

That was his own fault and he knew it. Well, mostly his own fault.

“Don’t like how he said it but Roland’s right. We’re a team. Maybe we should, uh, try and do that. More.”

It dawned on Mordecai, “You ain’t usually on a team either, are you?”

“No…” Brick admitted, “And when I am, usually it’s a shitty one. This one ain’t shitty. Like to keep it that way.”

He sounded defeated. It was hard picturing the friendly man who’d managed to weasel into his good graces being a lone wolf but he guessed it made sense. Dude’s fucking terrifying from a distance.

Up close he wasn’t though. Just a big fuckin’ teddy bear, begging for attention.

And like a real bear, he could easily get it just by being huge.

The second Brick crashed onto the other side of the bed, Mordecai was almost launched off the other side. Stopped only by a firm grip on his arm, pulling him back to slam down on the bed again. Unable to stop from rolling over into the newly formed ditch and directly into Brick’s arms which neither of them were exactly fighting.

Although Brick’s current state of “one article of clothing off from being naked” was making Mordecai more flustered than he showed or would ever admit to.

Evidently it was a common enough occurrence too, “Sorry, always forget. Average bed ain’t built to accommodate me.”

An understatement. Given Mordecai’s own legs were almost too long for the bed Brick’s would be hanging off entirely were he not bunched up to fit. Whole thing sagging around his weight, leaving him to sleep in a valley of his own making. Left him wondering if the man would get a custom made bed in a more permanent set up.

But he was tired and really didn’t care enough to ask, not resisting being easily flipped over to be the little spoon. Not something he was used to either, considering he usually had a good head and shoulders on previous partners but he’d take it. Always hated trying to figure out where the hell he’s supposed to put his other arm anyways.

For Brick it was a simple as “one arm’s a pillow, other’s a blanket.” Not like any amount of Mordecai’s weight was enough to cut off circulation, let alone just his head.

The casual familiarity of this was just another reminder to Mordecai of exactly how weird and sudden their set up was. It was like Brick was determined to ignore that though. It took Mordecai a second to realize that the hand on his face was trying to turn his head to get a goodnight kiss.

Some part of his didn’t get why anyone would want to kiss him but he pushed himself up enough to oblige a quick peck. Brick reaching over him to turn off the dim side table lamp.

Settling back in, Brick nuzzled against him and gave him another kiss on the side of his head.

Not the worst way to fall asleep, he could get used to that.


	7. Skin and Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone just be cool and pretend that i didn't forget that the sledge fight is before getting to new haven and not after
> 
> just be cool

Despite waking up completely trapped under a pile of immovable muscle, it was somehow the best night of sleep Mordecai had ever had.

Even though he’d had partners before nobody ever seemed terrible keen on snuggling up to him. All long, pointy limbs and protruding bones. Guess for Brick it was largely cancelled out by being so meaty. Almost polar opposites.

Who was he kidding? Obviously, openly, comically opposites.

When Lilith figured it out he was certain there’d be jokes. Normally he was used to being opposite to a partner but never this extreme and well, he was usually on the other end of it. Towering over some shorter significant other with someone making jokes about his pocket-sized beau.

Now he was the pocket-sized one, somehow. Been real tall his entire life but he’d managed to find someone who liked him who negated that. Somewhere in the ballpark of well over seven feet tall.

And beyond the height alone… well, Brick was wrapped tightly around him and Mordecai’s entire torso was the size of his forearm. In every sense of the word he was a giant who made Mordecai look like a particularly small man in comparison.

If he was younger, that would have been a dealbreaker out of some weird sense of pride but now he was almost forty... He wasn't entirely sure himself if it was knowing he had dwindling options or just growing the fuck up or maybe some true love’s first kiss bullshit but it didn’t bother him as much as it previously would.

Instead he was just left with the usual shame of “doesn’t terribly like people seeing him in any state of undress” that always came around as an issue whenever he got into one of his rare relationships.

Except this time that persistent nagging in his head was louder and Mordecai couldn’t help but feel their massive physical difference was a factor in that. Where Brick was an undeniably enviable specimen of human strength and endurance, Mordecai looked like he was ready to keel over dead at a moment’s notice.

Only thing Mordecai had up on Brick was scars. His own small and surgical and nothing you’re going to notice unless you’re looking for them while Brick's…

Well let’s just say charging headfirst into a life or death fight isn’t going to leave you without a hell of a lot of marks to show for it. The only thing stopping him from being more scars than skin was the sheer size of him.

Then again the number one reason why you’re not gonna notice the scars on Mordecai is there’s the louder and more pressing issue of “you can count his ribs from across the room” but eh.

Either way, he was glad he was an early riser for once. Get ready before Brick wakes up.

Squirming out of Brick’s deathgrip snuggle wasn’t an easy task but he’d accomplished it in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, just gotta do it again. Helped that even while unconscious Brick knew not to hug someone too hard or they’d snap in half.

Sure did make Mordecai feel stupid though, awkwardly pulling his body up, around and out of Brick’s grasp. Inelegantly falling to the ground like a crumpled rakk as his hand slipped off the crappy side table.

At least it was a quiet fall, scrambling to his feet to approach the hanging cloth.

Jerking down his freshly cleaned clothes, Mordecai started clawing off his sweaty undershirt. Only underside to sleeping curled up with Brick was that. Dude runs fucking hot. Effect somewhat lessened by the fact Mordecai is freezing cold all the time.

Man, even seeing Brick’s shirt hanging next to his own was a stark reminder of how scrawny he was in comparison.

The singular part of his brain that wasn’t dedicated to self-loathing was amused with the idea of trying it on. Fuckin’ massive, it’d be like wearing a dress. Hadn’t been able to share clothes with someone in a long, long time. Honestly it was an upside to being so thin, could fit in damn near every single one of his partner’s clothes.

But that section of his brain was quiet and mostly being yelled over by the rest which was reminding him that “being in a relationship with someone means they’ll want to see you naked at some point.”

Even now he could feel the want for affection versus the horror of vulnerability battling it out in his brain. An uncomfortable choice that he knew he’d have to make soon.

God, he needed a drink. It had been what… weeks? Probably why he was being such a bitch all the time.

Lilith still owed them drinks, like she’d said.

Maybe later tonight.

Hearing the bed loudly creak behind him, Mordecai blanched as he realized he’d wasted his window of privacy opportunity at the groggy, “Mornin’, Mordy.”

Turning around he immediately felt a flight instinct take over but given the fact Brick had already seen him…

That look, the same look everyone gave him whenever they saw him shirtless. Pained pity, cringing at the skeletal figure he posed. Always was worse if they saw him from the back first too, something about a protruding spine really gets people going.

And same as always, he hated seeing that fucking look. Maybe it was the lack of alcohol talking as he angrily shot back, “What’re you lookin’ at?”

Instant regret hit him seeing Brick recoil from that. Something about seeing someone so big and strong get cut down so easily made Mordecai feel powerful but in a bad, bad, bad way. Leaving nothing but a sick feeling in his stomach.

And he was double the asshole because it wasn’t Brick’s fault. Of course he’d be staring and he probably should be worried about Mordecai’s current form.

“Sorry…” Mordecai mumbled, quickly pulling an undershirt over his head, “It’s not… just… don’t look at me like that. Like you feel sorry for me.”

Not being a man of terribly a lot of tact, it was incredibly obvious Brick wanted to say something in retort. Something witty and profound and smart that would make Mordecai feel better about himself.

But he’s Brick and he’s not terribly bright but he’s smart enough to know when he’s in over his head.

“It’s just...” he tried to twist it around into something positive, loving, something he wouldn’t get further yelled at for saying, “You’re really… nevermind...”

Mordecai didn’t like seeing the man so defeated but he also didn’t terribly like when people brought up… well many things about himself. Sighing he went over and sat on the bed, twisting to give Brick a tight hug, “Just… don’t worry about me, alright? Made it to nearly forty without dying. Think I’m doin’ alright.”

He could feel the large hand, perhaps unconsciously, running over the exposed ridges of his spine as Brick hugged back just a little too tight.

Brick still looked a bit down when Mordecai pulled away and affectionately ran a hand over his almost nonexistent hair, “Really, I’m fine. If I ain’t fine, you’ll be able to tell.”

“Alright…” Brick didn’t sound sold on that.

“I’m gonna finish getting dressed,” Mordecai pulled away, all attempts at sounding soft and nice instantly grinding away in a second at his next sentence, “Roland’ll probably be on our asses soon wanting us to play soldier.”

He was stopped firmly in his tracks, grabbed by the wrist. Looking back to a now playful Brick, having already shrugged off the somber mood, “Could play hooky today?”

Once again Mordecai was amazed by Brick’s complete, perfect ability to shrug off any and all negative thoughts and situations seconds after they leave the forefront of his mind. An enviable freedom Mordecai was certain he’d never obtain.

“I think Roland might actually, literally kill us if we ditch them to go on our own adventure again already.”

“I’m not talkin’ about going anywhere,” Brick easily tugged Mordecai back onto the bed with a laugh, “Roland can’t fault us if we just want to stay home, right?”

“Yeah, he can,” Mordecai didn’t even bother trying to pull away as he was brought back into a snuggle, “Real easily. Probably go full drill sergeant on us, callin’ us ‘maggots’ and demanding we get to work. Drop and give him twenty.”

“Twenty? That’s nothing.”

“I think if I did twenty push ups it might actually kill me.”

Brick laughed only further entrapping Mordecai as he was hugged tightly against his chest, “Nah, you’d be fine. But if you’re worried about Roland, I can always answer the door for ya an’ scare him off. Considering my… everything.”

It was true, really all Brick has to do to be intimidating is ‘stand there and look vaguely disgruntled.’

“C’mon, we’ll have fun,” Brick offered, shaking him a little, “Just the two of us.”

“What’re we even going to do?”

“Oh, I think you know,” was Brick’s vague response, directly in his ear before planting a kiss on the side of his head.

For a dumb second, Mordecai was going to question this before it dawned on him exactly what very obvious thing Brick was angling at from the get-go. Even more obvious as the kisses continued along the side of his head, creeping to his neck.

Intellectually he knew being in a relationship meant ‘the other person presumably finds you sexually attractive and will want to act on that’ but the concept was so foreign to Mordecai at this point in his life that he really hadn’t considered the ramifications of it.

The idea of happily giving in to the offer was both exhilarating and terrifying but one half of that dichotomy was definitely winning out right now.

Grabbing Brick’s very slowly roaming hand instantly stopped him, somewhat reluctantly replying with, “Not… not yet.”

“I ain’t gonna judge your body or anythin’ if that’s what you’re worried about,” Brick reassured him, “Just… surprised me before. Didn’t realize you were that...”

For lack of a more elegant way to put it, Brick just lifted up one of Mordecai’s way too thin arms.

“It’s not… it’s not that just…” Mordecai shook his head, “Just need a little more time, alright? Got things I have to tell you first.”

Brick didn’t seem exactly excited about the prospect of time-locked secrets but he didn’t push the issue any further, “Alright… could just rent a movie an’ stay here and snuggle though, right? Maybe get some takeout?”

Before Brick could further try to tempt Mordecai into a lazy day a banging came at their door.

“Rise and shine,” the word ‘maggots’ almost painfully obviously omitted from Roland’s wake up call, “C’mon thirty minutes, Lilith’s already dressed and she’s getting antsy.”

\- - -

Brick had largely given up the fight after Roland’s wakeup call, only passively suggesting that he and Mordecai should at least have a little day like that some time, eventually.

Mordecai wasn’t opposed to that. Let things settle down a bit, get closer to Brick, maybe even Lilith and… well, maybe not Roland. But Lilith wasn’t too bad. Even his cynical ass had to admit her fervor for life can be a bit infectious.

But Roland. Man, he wanted nothing to do with the pompous military asshole. Fuck that guy.

Ever since he was a kid Mordecai had always had a problem with authority, any kind, and Roland’s particular brand of drill sergeant was exactly what he couldn’t fucking stand.

Even now Roland was ordering them around, even on these dumb little missions looping back to the Arid Badlands. It’s not like any of them aren’t seasoned warriors, even Lilith as their youngest was still a seasoned warrior. If a bit flashy.

But Roland was right in the center, hunkered behind his stupid shitty turret, trying to tell them what to do.

“Mordecai, get Bloodwing to get that turret!” Roland yelled the obvious at him, jerking a thumb at the target from cover, “He’s not looking up!”

“No shit, Sherlock!” Mordecai yelled, almost wanting to ignore the order but it would be stupid to do so. Gesturing for his bird to dive, easily taking out the bandit with a burst of blood.

“Yeah, like that!” Roland vaulted over the cover, running to gun down the now exposed troops, “Good job!”

If Mordecai was a bigger fan of yelling over gunfire he would have had a smart ass comment about that but he wasn’t going to waste his breath. Looking down his scope and picking off the far off enemies. Flicking down to make sure Brick was doing fine but it seemed like he always was, despite his foolhardy fighting style.

A surprising smile crossed Mordecai’s face, amused by the concept that their combat was very indicative of their personalities.

Brick bold and in your face, not a care in the world for anything but the moment. Lilith flashy, loud, and bright like a brush fire. Roland slow and calculating, relying more on knowledge than brute force.

Mordecai himself crushed off in a corner, keeping everyone at a distance.

Alright maybe that last one was a little less amusing.

But the fight wasn’t long enough for him to contemplate that, it never was. Not long before Mordecai scrambled back down from his perch to rejoin the others.

Supposedly they were hunting some bigger target named Sledge. Skipped over him getting to New Haven, Pierce wanted them to deal with him now. There’d been some weird talk of something freaky being abruptly covered up. People going crazy, raving about the vaults.

Seemed like a good a place as any to learn more about the vaults and if it made Pierce like them more? All the better.

“They say Sledge is a big fucker,” Roland commented as they continued walking towards the mines, “Wonder if he’s bigger than Brick.”

“Maybe,” Brick patted his own not insignificant chest, “I’ve seen people bigger’n me out here.”

“Not me, not yet,” Lilith lightly slapped his chest too, making him laugh, “But I’ve kinda stayed out of bandit camps if I can help it. Been mostly travelling to friendly-heavy places unless I need cash.”

“I’ve mostly seen other soldiers,” Roland admitted, “How about you, Mordecai?”

He wanted to just ignore it but Lilith grabbed his arm and shook it a little, prompting the unexciting answer of, “Haven’t been on Pandora all that long. People are more normal sized on Artemis.”

“What, no big boys like Brick?” Lilith tilted forward enough to almost make her fall over with a playful grin on her face, “Bet it’s nice having someone like him around. Bet he’d carry you around if you asked nicely.”

“He’d carry me around unprompted if he thought I’d let him,” Mordecai replied, “Pretty sure the only thing holding him back is him thinkin’ I’d try to squirm away. Which I would. Like keeping both feet on the ground.”

“Your stupid loss,” Lilith replied, looking up at Brick, “How about me, can I ride on your shoulders? Put me on eye level with Sledge.”

His answer came in the form of picking a delighted Lilith up by the back of her vest, helping her literally climb up onto his shoulders, completely uninhibited from having an adult woman on his shoulders. Not even breaking stride to do this.

Putting her hands on his head, Lilith laughed, “Oh my god, I could get used to this.”

Mordecai shook his head, “You look like a fuckin’ kid up there.”

“Sounds like somebody’s jealous,” Lilith replied, nudging Roland with her foot, “Hey you, be jealous about this too. Got a big dude other than you carrying me around.”

Roland shook his head, stealing a glance at Mordecai, “I, uh, get the feeling Brick doesn’t like women like that.”

Brick nodded, “Nope, not at all.”

Lilith noted the look Mordecai gave Brick at that, continuing to use her lofty new position to kick at people, “Looks like you’ve still got a chance with him, killer.”

“Kick me again and I’ll drag your ass to the ground,” Mordecai slapped the foot away.

Roland shot him a cold glare at that, “No hitting.”

“Still not my fucking papi,” Mordecai replied, looking forward to the looming mine, “And she kicked me first.”

“Ha ha, I’m Roland’s favorite,” Lilith gloated.

“No shit,” Mordecai said for the second time in an hour, “Pretty sure I’m not even in the running for second favorite.”

“You’re MY favorite,” Brick put a hand on Mordecai’s head, awkwardly petting the mask.

“Aww,” Lilith rested her head on top of Brick’s, “That’s so cute.”

Mordecai figured he’d throw Brick a bone with a firm pat on the back, “You’re my favorite too.”

Jury was out on whether that was the right decision as he was far too easily scooped off the ground and cradled into a tight hug that left him feeling like a trapped cat while Lilith wailed her approval.

\- - -

Sledge really was fucking huge, maybe not bigger than Brick but certainly on eye level with him. Or rather he would be if not for the mask. Built similar too, almost like the game devs didn’t want to model another gigantic muscular man so they just slapped a mask on a certain pre existing one. Curious.

But a fight’s a fight and no matter how big you are, you’ll eventually fall.

Mordecai in particular wasn’t the biggest fan of this fight.

Cramped quarters meant he couldn’t properly climb up high and stay safe, meaning Roland was constantly barking at him to stay behind the turret.

He hated that Mordecai wasn’t listening, bolting to the ends of the room to take cover away from the safety of his turret. Especially since Bloodwing was of less use indoors, still flying around but preoccupied with not crashing into obstacles.

While it wasn’t something Mordecai was terribly proud of, he was also a worrier. That one was something he was finding a bit more difficult right now, watching Brick going up against another close quarters combatant.

Especially since his opponent had a big fucking spiked weapon he was swinging at Brick.

He’d dodged every one so far but each swing made Mordecai hold his breath.

At least that part helped with sniping.

The helmet was troublesome but even though the bullets had yet to penetrate it the clanging as the shots hit their mark was enough. Keeping Sledge from ever focusing in on a single target.

And, while Mordecai wouldn’t admit it, he was starting to get the same concern pangs for Lilith.

Especially since instead of dodging she’d just briefly go intangible.

Mordecai tried not to think about what would happen if she timed that wrong, becoming tangible again with the hammer inside her torso.

Keeping one eye clamped shut he just focused.

Sledge can’t hurt anyone if he’s dead.

Every swing was a gamble though and he knew it was probably just in his head that the misses were become narrower and narrower, Brick dodging by less and less each time, probably just his imagination-

Until it turns out it wasn’t, sharp head of the hammer smashing hard enough into Brick’s chest to slam him to the ground.

In a second, Lilith was flashing on Sledge’s other side to keep him from finishing off her friend.

With a sharp inhale of breath, Mordecai forced his hands not to shake as he took the opening to end this. Sledge’s head tilted up enough to get a rare shot at his exposed neck into a shower of blood as the bullet shredded open his jugular.

Sledge didn’t even have time to hit the ground before Mordecai had vaulted over the obstacles and was at Brick’s side.

“Shit, your chest…” Mordecai tried and failed to push Brick back down as he sat up, looking down and surveying the damage. Three deep gashes, roughly half a foot long each, across his chest. Looking like an animal had tried to maim him.

“I’ve had worse,” Brick calmly replied, tugging at bloodstained clothes like that wasn’t still an upsetting thing to hear when your new boyfriend has a large set of bleeding wounds across his chest.

“That’s not comforting to hear either,” Mordecai responded, leaning in closer, “Fuck those are deep…”

Mordecai just barely restrained himself from throwing a punch as he found himself shouldered to the side by Roland, roughly hoisting Brick to his feet, “Let’s get him back to the runners, there’s a first aid kit in mine and Lilith’s. Saw a bandit car nearby with a little more space too, see if that’s running and get the fuck out of here.”

Pulling Brick’s other arm around his own shoulders, Mordecai knew he wasn’t really helping to haul him out as he hissed for the third time today, “No fucking shit.”

“Lilith, c’mon,” Roland yelled over his shoulder, “Just grab all the loot and go, we’ll sort it later.”

But Lilith remained there, crouched over the freshly opened chest. Absolutely frozen in place as if she was listening to someone. But aside from her friends, there was nothing.

“What the hell are you waiting for, cabrona?!” Mordecai jerked his head back as well.

Lilith didn’t answer for a second before slowly turning, looking like a horrorshow as she’d gotten the brunt of the literal splash damage from Sledge’s demise.

Despite being nearly coated head-to-toe in blood their eyes jerked right to what was in her hands.

Her voice was shocked, reverent, “Guys… this is… this is part of a vault key.”


	8. You Talk Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a little break from trying to bang out all of Where Angels Fear To Tread to make a little more leeway on this one so nobody would think this is dead in the water.
> 
> Far from it, this is definitely going to be the longest, most indepth fanfic undertaking I've ever done. Easily going to be one of the longest fanfics for Borderlands. A little intimidating thinking about how much a behemoth this thing is gonna be lmao.

A Vault Key. A fucking Vault Key. Part of one, whatever, a goddamn motherfucking VAULT KEY.

When Lilith had told them that, Mordecai couldn’t believe her. Didn’t want to believe her.

But then that girl was back.

The voice that was in his head, maybe in the other’s heads too.

The Angel.

She verified what Lilith had already said. Promising to them it was a piece of the Vault Key. That they were going the right way, that they’d be successful, be the ones to find the Vault, be the ones to open it.

To grow beyond themselves, to become legends.

For him? He really was getting everything this fuckin’ universe owes him.

Mordecai was sure that if the others couldn’t hear the Angel too that he absolutely must look crazy. Starin’ off into the distance, wide smile on his face and an empty look in his eyes.

But if anyone but Brick noticed they didn’t say anything and his oversized beau was far too dense to think of his odd look as anything other shock and awe at the grey, slightly glowing oddity. Merely affectionately putting a hand on his shoulder, glad to see him smiling so genuinely for once.

Leaning in with a quiet, “You’ve got a real nice smile, Mordy.”

The ‘shut up’ he got in response was practically a giggle, smile growing wider at a half assed push at Brick’s chest.

Were she not holding the literal key to their success Lilith might have taken some excited notice of that but instead she was just turning it over and over again in her hands reverently, “I never… I’ve always thought the Vault was real but this… this is… so real. Tangible, physical proof of a Vault.”

Her tattoos were glowing faintly, a quirk they all already recognized as ‘unabashed excitement.’

Roland reached for it only for her to refuse to let go. Not caring too much about that as he examined it, “And everyone said it was just a legend… Pierce has got to know someone who knows more about these things. Can point us in the right direction.”

Mordecai hated to admit it but Roland was right, “The faster we head back the faster we can try and find another piece.”

Cradling it like a baby, all of them hoping that blood doesn’t stain these things as she pointed out, “So are we just ignoring the huge gashes on Brick’s tits then?”

Mordecai and Roland looked back at it, both feeling like a dumbass.

“Uh, right, we’ll get… we’ll get out to the bandit truck and hijack it,” Roland holstered his gun, reaching out to take the key from a reluctant Lilith before she got more blood smeared on it, “Mordecai, I’ll give you my first aid kit. You get him all bandaged up.”

Again with the orders, Mordecai wanting to spit something back but ultimately knowing just…

Obviously he was going to do that.

The divide between them as obvious, walking out. This was just how things were going to be as long as they stayed in a group. Him with Brick, Roland and Lilith.

Why should they even bother staying a group at that rate?

\- - -

Rattling along, Mordecai had to admit he was glad not to be shoved into a cramped runner. 

Those damned things never had enough leg room for someone spindly like him.

Although Brick was probably even more content to not be crushed into one, looking quite content despite the gasps on his chest. Ankles casually crossed as Mordecai dug through the first aid kit. Not only taller than Mordecai but taking up four times as much space as him. How the hell’d he even fit in them in the first place?

He was overthinking it. He was always overthinking things.

Brick gave Mordecai a look at the disinfectant being pulled out, “I don’t use that stuff.”

“Well, you should,” Mordecai ignored him, pouring it out onto one of the comparatively clean rags, “Hell, surprised an infection hasn’t taken you out yet. Not like you’re avoiding taking damage or anything.”

The pale, deep scars etched into him were proof of that. Not really something he could hide with his shirt balled up in a fist to keep it from flying away as they clipped along, through the wasteland.

“Feel like I’ve seen you shirtless more than clothed at this point,” Mordecai leaned forward, giving a pointed glare to the hand clearly wanting to grab his own and stop him.

Even hissing from the sting of the disinfectant, Brick wasn’t deterred from flirting, “You complainin’? Ain’t got no right to, I’ve seen you staring. A lot.”

“Hard not to stare, considering you take up half the room.”

Mordecai’s neutral answer provoked a smile out of Brick, already used to poking through his prickly barrier to find the compliment hidden in it, “Yeah, I think there’s other reasons.”

“Shut up,” Mordecai badly hid a smile, “I’m stabbing at your chest with disinfectant, this ain’t the time to try me.”

“Nah, I trust you. You ain’t gonna hurt me on purpose.”

He was right, Mordecai shaking his head, “Alright, alright, I’m starin’ for other reasons.”

“Sexy reasons?”

“Well I mean right now it’s to make sure you don’t get yourself fuckin’ killed with infection so,” Mordecai lazily tossed the now bloody rag to the wind and pulled out bandages and tape, “Not so sexy right now as trying to make sure you’re okay.”

What shot out of Brick’s mouth next was peak symptom of his complete lack of filter, saying what he was thinking before he even considered the implications, “What, you get to be concerned when you see me shirtless but I don’t get to be when-”

It trailed off though with a cold, warning glare from Mordecai.

“Just saying…” Brick mumbled, slouching before Mordecai pushed him back up to secure the bandage better.

But Mordecai, still riding off the high of their discovery, decided to just drop it for once, “There. Try not to flex it off, don’t want to keep tapin’ shit to your chest.”

Pulling his too-tight shirt back over it, he patted it, “I’ll try. Gonna be hard though, how else am I gonna impress you?”

Mordecai had a feeling saying ‘big muscles’ weren’t the reason he liked Brick would only confuse the man so he instead went with, “Eh, you’ll find a way.”

Wrapping an arm around Mordecai’s waist as he tried to turn away and pack up the first aid kit again he dragged him back against his chest easily. Hiding the slight pain at his bony ass slamming onto the bouncing metal of the truck bed, just being happily crushed against his side. Sort of left hugging the massive bicep against his chest.

“You know, killin’ Sledge and finding part of the Vault Key… Pierce better let us do whatever the hell we want now. Tired of havin’ like half the city cautiously eyeing us, refusing service to outsiders. If I don’t get a drink soon I’m gonna lose my goddamn mind.”

Brick snuggled against his head, “Yeah, I think we’ll be good. Think Lilith’s prolly gonna want to celebrate.”

The idea of partying with Lilith and Roland was far from the ideal situation for Mordecai but at this point he’d have a tea party with a spitter skag if it meant he could get some fuckin’ alcohol in his system.

Also the idea seemed to make Brick happy, who the hell was his miserable ass to bring him down?

“Heh, maybe we’ll see Roland let his hair down for once.”

“I don’t think his hair’s very long under the hat,” Brick ran a hand through his own hair.

“It’s not literal, Brick.”

“I like when you have your hair down,” Brick didn’t seem to pay his clarification any mind, playing with Mordecai’s ponytail, “That and when you got your mask off, y’only let me see it so it’s special.”

“Mentality like a cult leader,” Mordecai smirked, “Keep it covered and secret.”

“Nah, it’s like lingerie, right? People say it’s sexier if you can’t see everything. Like that.”

“I mean, people are always telling me my mask makes me look like a dominatrix,” Mordecai snorted, “I mean, I guess I kinda a- what are you doing?”

This was more of a figurative question than a literal one, Brick tugging gently at the back of it. Examining it. He replied in the literal sense though, “How’d you even get something like this?”

“Guy owed me a favor,” Mordecai gently batted the hand away, “Thought it’d be cool, like…”

All explanations of his mask now sounded stupid.

Brick paid it no mind though, “Well, I think it’s cool.”

“Thanks, Brick,” Mordecai patted his chest affectionately.”

“Ow.”

What? Oh, right, the slashes.

“Sorry.”

\- - -

Their arrival back at New Haven felt oddly anticlimactic for what they were doing, merely a consequence of nobody realizing exactly what was in the makeshift bag hanging off of Lilith’s shoulder.

Even Pierce herself greeted them with the same customary coldness, looking up and asking, “Did you take out Sledge?”

“Do you one better,” Lilith sang, stepping forward and digging the bag, “Or like, a bazillion better.”

“What are you…” Pierce started before her eyes went wide, straining against the burn, “Is that… my god…”

Perched on Lilith’s hand the piece of the Vault Key was striking, something anyone could identify even without ever seeing one in person before. Fabled, legendary, striking. Unnatural purple glow reflected in Pierce’s good eye as she leaned forward to examine it.

“Tannis. Patricia Tannis.”

“Huh?” Lilith tilted her head, before perking up, “Oh! The… the scientist lady? The one who won’t stop leaving her ECHOlogs everywhere?”

“Absolutely, she’s a big… eccentric but there’s no one more versed on Vaults and Eridians on this entire planet,” Pierce took Lilith’s ECHO device, typing in the location, “It’s a bit of a hike to go and find her but nothing you won’t be used to. In the meantime… I think New Haven would be proud to have you as citizens. As frequently gone as you may be.”

Lilith beamed at that, taking the key back into the bag and turning to the others, “Alright! Officially Helena Pierce sanctioned! All drinks are on me!!”

Pierce rolled her eye at the boys cheering in response, mumbling to herself, “Don’t make me regret this…”

\- - -

It was amazing how fast word spread in New Haven. The Vault Hunters had no idea how Pierce had so instantly spread the word they were welcome but she had. Smartly not bringing up half of why, only saying they’d killed Sledge.

Either way they were let into the beat up old bar, strung up with Mercenary Day lights and oddly twisting. Obviously once a house, not a bar.

But none of them cared, finding a corner to wedge themselves in.

The round table was worn, countless initials and words carved into them.

It didn’t go without notice that the waiter set the drinks down in front of them carefully. Not wanting to topple them on the almost comically uneven surface before placing another pack in the middle, for whoever would certainly need it.

Were they in a nicer establishment they’d question the lack of order taking but it quickly became obvious that this was all they had. Looking around at the few other occupants drinking the same.

Picking up the bottle and examining it, Mordecai found himself having no problem with homebrewed Rakk Ale. Not the fanciest but it would do what it was supposed to do, honestly pretty damn well. Stuff’ll knock you on your ass.

Quickly he uncorked it, not even bothering to wait for the others to take an incredibly long drink.

“Holy shit,” Lilith cackled, slapping his arm, “Sure taking my offer to pay seriously? Huh? Gonna try to make me go broke?”

“Hell yeah,” he stopped just long enough to respond, “You’ve made a dangerous offer, girlie, and I fully intend to take advantage of your mistake.”

If Mordecai didn’t sound so abnormally cheery Lilith might have taken offense to that but he looked downright pleasant for once, “Alright, Mordecai fact stored in the back of mind. Do not offer to pay for a night’s worth of drinks. Between you and Brick I’m definitely gonna be running at zero dollars for a while, huh, big guy?”

“Actually don’t drink all that much,” Brick shrugged, looking down at the bottle currently in his hand, “Body weight makes it more work than it’s worth to try and get drunk.”

“So it’s just down to me and Mordy,” Roland laughed, not catching the sharp change in Mordecai’s expression at the nickname, “And I’ve drunk a lot of people under the table in my day. Got some bulk to me too. Maybe I’m the one you should really be worried about, Lil.”

“Don’t call me Mordy,” he replied, putting the already empty bottle on the table with a clunk, “And if you think you can outdrink me you are sorely mistaken.”

Lilith and Brick sensed the change in Mordecai’s disposition back to grouchy and angry but Roland sure didn’t seem to. Thinking this was all just fun banter, the type of jabs he and his soldier buddies had taken at each other in the barracks. Leaning forward on an elbow with an unusual cocky grin on his face, “Well, we’re sitting here. Ample alcohol. A pretty lady whose made a horrible mistake to bankroll this.”

Mordecai sneered at him, “Alright, your funeral.”

“I’ll even even the score,” Roland chugged the drink in his hand, placing it across from Mordecai’s matching one, “Give you a fighting chance.”

Lilith’s eyes flickered over to Mordecai, knowing these supposed-to-be playful jabs were not going over the way Roland wanted them to, trying to diffuse the situation with her own joke, “C’mon, aren’t we all a little old for these college antics?”

“You just don’t wanna pony up,” Roland laughed, putting a hand on Lilith’s arm, “Don’t worry, I’ll get my own. Gonna be the lion’s share any-”

The slam on the scarred table almost knocked over the empty bottles, Mordecai calling attention to himself as he expertly chugged down an entire other one without pause. Slamming the empty remains next to the first, wiping his mouth, “You talk too fuckin’ much, soldier boy.”

Banter, Roland took that as friendly banter. Raising his own glass in a small ‘cheers’, he replied, “All business. See you on the other side.”

Their opposites, across the table, met eyes. Both Lilith and Brick knowing this was a bad idea but neither of them knowing how the hell they could diffuse this situation.

For a while they drank in silence that was only interrupted by the waiter bringing over another pack of ale, sitting there with uncomfortably intense but polarized stares. Mordecai’s a cold glare, somehow not obvious to Roland through the opaque goggles. Even with the others feeling it burn a hole through the plastic coverings and into Roland’s skull.

Roland’s stare was competitive, to be sure, but the kind you’d see between brothers in arms. Playful even, breaking through his own stalwart personality if only visible in his eyes.

As it continued to drag on they started talking though, somehow even more dangerous.

“Doin’ better than I thought you would,” Roland teased, “Thought with all one-ten pounds of bones you’d take a couple then be out.”

Remembering this morning, Brick knew exactly why Mordecai’s face twisted behind the mask at that. If that was a button that Mordecai didn’t even want Brick to touch he sure as hell didn’t want Roland pressing.

And he was right, Mordecai having no real barb back but gripping the glass so lightly that Brick was fairly surprised the thing didn’t crack, “Shut up.”

“What, no witty remark? Thought you were the brains between you and Brick,” Roland nodded towards the bigger man with a smile and another long drink that emptied another, “Or are you just too drunk to form a coherent response?”

This was a song and dance Roland had done many times in the Crimson Lance. A bunch of armored men, crouched around a shitty makeshift table with even shittier alcohol in the canteen, a constantly dimming lantern in the middle. Laughing, jabbing jeers, and at the end of the night they’d haul each other’s asses back to barracks before their commander officer could yell at them for insubordination.

But this was different. Mordecai was no soldier. The man held no sense of brotherhood in his heart, he’d had all of seven friends his entire life and at least three of them hadn’t been human. Rest had all left him, eventually.

He was a lone wolf being reached out to by a pack representative and he wanted nothing but to rip his throat out as an answer.

“Like I said earlier,” Mordecai steadily answered before going through another bottle in that same impressively worrisome manner, “You. Talk. Too. Much. Bark orders like a goddamn dog.”

“Not used to someone ordering you around, huh?” Roland slapped the armor on his shoulder, “Never been a part of a unit. Makes sense. Bein’ in the Crimson Lance would have kicked your ass.”

“Must have kicked yours too, consider you deserted them.”

Ice cold silence fell through the room.

Even a couple people from another table looking over before deciding to sit elsewhere, feeling the temperature change like that.

In a heartbeat, Roland disposition changed. Matching Mordecai’s, all friendliness melted away, “I didn’t desert anything, they made it real clear I wasn’t welcome anymore.”

“Same fuckin’ thing,” Mordecai shook his head, words still jarringly clear as he hadn’t been drinking at all, “And maybe I don’t believe you either. Got no reason to. Might as well have deserted me when you wouldn’t come help me look for Bloodwing.”

“Not a fan of suicide missions.”

“What do you know about suicide missions?”

Lilith didn’t know what the particulars were that had set off Roland too but she tried to intervene, “C’mon guys, we’re here to celebrate. We found a piece of a friggin’ Vault Key are we really gonna-”

“I know enough about suicide missions that I’m not going to potentially sacrifice my entire goddamn unit to try and save a stupid bird.”

Oh that was very, very much not the right thing to say.

Roland ducked in time for the full bottle to miss his head, shattering against the splintered wood and rusted metal of the bar wall. A rain of cheap Rakk Ale coating his head and back.

Were Mordecai any bigger of a man, his hands smacked onto the table wide as he leaned over it might have toppled the damn thing. Hell, might have anyways if Brick didn’t sit with his arms on the table. Especially as Mordecai seemed to be pressing down as he yelled at Roland, “DON’T TALK BAD ABOUT BLOODWING.”

Lilith looked at a loss for what to say, looking at Brick for any semblance of help. He wasn’t all that great at stopping fights either though, at least not without a one-hit knockout and this was definitely not the situation for that. Putting a hand on Mordecai’s panting back, he tried to distract him before he could spit out whatever venom was pooling in his mouth, “Mordy, I don’t feel so good. Let’s go back-”

Roland’s barb was lazy, arms spread out wide with nothing deeper to reply with but a sarcastic, “Oh, so he can call you Mordy but me and Lilith can’t?”

“Yeah ‘cause I like him,” Mordecai stumbled to his feet, snatching the freshly placed pack off the table and starting to walk away, “But I fuckin’ hate you.”

To no one’s surprise but Roland’s still disappointment, Brick pushed himself up and followed after Mordecai. Silently picking a side in this argument, only confirmed by the distrustful look he gave Roland on the way out.

Dust settling around her, Lilith wasn’t terribly happy with him either, “You happy? That whole thing make you happy, Roland?”

Left to sit there and think about what had happened, Roland came back to reality. Looking horrified at how the whole thing had unfolded, the opposite of what he’d wanted to achieve. Empty bottles between where he and Mordecai had sat a proverbial and literal wall.

“No, Lilith,” Roland leaned back, “I’d say I’m pretty damn disappointed in myself.”

“Good, because I’m disappointed in you too.”

\- - -

Outside, Mordecai was on a tear. Absolutely unstoppable, ranting in circles about Roland this and Roland that. Case of beer in his hand constantly threatening to topple to the ground with a crash as he gestured wildly at nothing.

Not being a man of incredible wit, Brick didn’t try to argue with any of Mordecai’s points. Even agreeing with him, to a point.

Mostly he just focused on keeping a firm hand on Mordecai’s back, keeping him on his feet and steering him back home.

At one point shortly into their walk he’d watched Bloodwing swoop down and land on a sign. Sharp little head darting around a little, examining his dad for a second before taking off again. Brick knew enough about animals to know that was a silent confirmation that Mordecai getting this wasted wasn’t something unusual, not a cause for concern for the bird.

Mouth a tight line, even in their very short time together Brick’d always assumed Mordecai was someone who was going to come with a lot of issues. Hearing it right from the bird’s beak wasn’t a comfort though.

The second they got inside it was like Mordecai’s clothes were suddenly some great offense to him. Clawing wildly and ineffectively at the mask, only calming at feeling Brick reach back to help.

Mordecai’d made a big show of rubbing his eyes in annoyance but given how red they were it was evident he’d cried or at the very least teared up.

He didn’t need the help discarding the rest of his clothes although Brick followed after him, picking them up and tossing them into a singular pile. Ending only when Mordecai did, crashing face first on the mattress the second he’d placed the extra beer on the side table.

In a surprising show of trust, or possibly just an indicator of how drunk he was, he’d even ditched his shirt. Jarring ridge of his spine visible like a mountain range of bones.

Even though there was no way Mordecai could see Brick staring he looked away. Remembering the man’s request not to look at him like he felt sorry for him, even if he did. Emaciated, drunk, having just gotten into a fight.

Brick tried not to think too hard about it. Unfortunately for him, he has a hard time ignoring something lying there right in front of him.

Sitting on the bed, it was for once in their dynamic his turn to sit in his miserable thoughts.

Although there was one stark difference between his negative thought pattern and Mordecai’s.

When Brick comes up against a wall he doesn’t sit on the ground and pout, doing little more than kicking the offending obstacle weakly. He stands there, staring it down, until he can find a way to break through it.

Looking at Mordecai’s maybe-sleeping body he put all of his meager brain cells to work on the singular project of “how do I fix this?”

Unfortunately, you can’t really fix ‘my alcoholic boyfriend just got into a fight with one of only two of my friends’. At least not directly.

The inability to just fix the problem made him growl in annoyance, forced to stand at a wall he doesn’t really see a way through. Left with nothing to do but give up for now and try to get to bed himself.

He got into the bed more carefully this time, not looking to nearly launch the questionably awake Mordecai off.

Not that he could do anything about the valley he created though, Mordecai sliding against his side.

Without doing more than turning his head, Mordecai asked, “You still up?”

A dumb question, the light was still on and Brick was still moving around but he was drunk so the big guy didn’t push the point, “Yeah, Mordy, I’m up.”

With the difficulty only countless beers can give you, Mordecai struggled to roll over onto his back. Numerous failures only overcome by a giant hand grabbing his shoulder and easily flipping him over.

“Roland’s a real asshole,” Mordecai started with a mushy edge of slurring finally making its way into his voice, Brick briefly concerned the tirade from outside was going to continue, “But I shouldn’t… fuckin’ let the bastard get under my skin, he’s not fucking worth it. Stupid bastard, the hell he know about suici… ‘bout anything. ‘Bout me, ‘bout my bird.”

Nuance lost on Brick, he just shifted to pull Mordecai into a cuddle he didn’t fight against at all. Really, it was the happiest he’d looked in a while. Too drunk to put his guard up and try to crush down whatever feelings he was having in the moment.

Even going as far as to nuzzle happily into the massive arm Brick had made a pillow for him, “You get me though, right? Y’care about me. ‘Bout my bird. You don’t think I’m a worthless asshole, right?”

That didn’t slide past Brick though. Roland had said a lot of things he shouldn’t have but nothing about being worthless. Even he could take an educated guess where that had come from.

“No, Mordy, you ain’t a worthless asshole,” Brick replied, putting an arm around the too-thin waist to pull him closer, “You’ve got… problems. Ones that worry me a hell of a lot but you’re not… you’re not worthless. I got problems too but you don’t think I’M worthless, right?”

“Hell no, not by a longshot,” he replied, pressing his face into Brick’s bicep again with a smile, “Man, we… haven’t been together long at all but like… you’re already the best thing I’ve ever had in my life that wasn’t a bird. By a long shot.”

Brick’s smile was bittersweet, enjoying the sentiment but not the meaning lurking behind it. That Mordecai had most likely had a long, shitty life leading up to this. Lonely and cold. This drunken, angry night was probably the latest in a long line of bad nights for Mordecai.

At least he didn’t have to be alone, not anymore. He had Brick, he had Lilith, and if he could get over himself? He’d have Roland too.

Mordecai made a strangled noise as he was pulled into a too-tight hug, laughing when he managed to get himself uncrushed, “Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. Makin’ me be all sappy and shit. But I mean it. Fuck those guys but you? You’re my favorite.”

“You’re my favorite too, Mordy,” Brick snuggled into the dreads, “But maybe things’ll get better with them. Y’seem to like Lilith well enough.”

“Lilith’s okay, I guess,” Mordecai relaxed back against the bed, starting to sound a little less coherent, “But Roland? I’d give anything to get away from that bastard.”

At that sentence, staring into Brick’s eyes made something light up in Mordecai’s brain.

“Hey Brick,” Mordecai got another warm smile on his face that was deeply at odds with what he was saying, “Let’s run away together. Just steal the key from Lilith’s bag when the ditz ain’t lookin’ and leave. Open the Vault together, just the two of us. How fuckin’ romantic would that be? That’s the type of shit they make movies about. Two lovers, against the odds, doing the impossible.”

For a second, Brick thought he was joking. Responding with a vacant smile, “Real funny, Mordy.”

“I ain’t messing around,” Mordecai’s tone got more serious but still with this excited, slurring, drunken edge. Sitting up with determination, “It’d be easy! Who the hell says we gotta share the glory with a couple of assholes? It could be just us and Bloodwing. Could do it tonight even just sneak in an-”

“I think you should go to sleep,” Brick deflected, grabbing him by the shoulder and easily forcing him to lay back down, “Startin’ to talk crazy, had a little too much to drink.”

“Like that’s anything new.”

Another confirmation.

Brick shrugged it off though, bringing Mordecai back against his chest, “Just go to sleep already, Mordy.”

Mordecai didn’t exactly have much of a chance to fight against that, passing out less than a second later. Out cold for another one of his dreamless nights.


	9. Control Freaked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this is one of the heftiest, longest chapters I've ever written. And here I'd added the cute little Brick and Lilith B-story because I thought it would be too short otherwise. That's what happens when you underestimate yourself, apparently lmao.

It was like his brain was trying to break its way out his skull, one solid punch at a time.

Groaning awake, Mordecai felt downright smothered. Nearly crushed on his back, half of Brick’s body weight on him which probably already twice what his own as is. Threatening to become an even higher percentage as he was snuggled in closer.

On one hand, nobody had ever been this affectionate to Mordecai in his life. On the other hand, he likes not having his bones broken by the sheer bulk of a partner.

Squirming, it was way more than he could feasibly move by a longshot.

The pounding was demanding it though, Mordecai patting Brick’s arm a few times, “Hey, Brick. Wake up, you’re crushing me.”

No movement.

Man, he really felt like a ghost of a person trying to jostle Brick as hard as he could, “C’mon! Up!”

Still no movement.

Sighing, Mordecai briefly considered trying to fall back asleep but his head hurt way too much to just accept that fate. It was a massive cruelty how unbelievably close he was to being able to get into the side table, knowing there was at least one or two bottles of water in there as well as a bottle of pain pills.

God was his mouth dry.

Mouth. That triggered some half a memory through the haze of his hangover.

Time to find out if Brick was joking about his Sleeping Beauty-like wake-up trick.

With some difficulty, he managed to maneuver enough to plant an awkward kiss on Brick’s lips. Practically contorted, otherwise pinned down 

Well, son of a bitch, Brick hadn’t been joking.

Instantly he blinked awake sleepily, looking up at Mordecai in confusion, “Didja just kiss me?”

“Yes because you were crushing me and are still crushing me,” Mordecai patted the offending shoulder digging into his spleen, “So now that you’re awake if you could not be crushing me that’d be just great.”

To his great relief, Brick shifted so he wasn’t in danger of squeezing Mordecai’s organs out through his mouth by sheer force of weight. Quickly perking up, unphased by exactly why he’d gotten the ideal wakeup call, “That’s so cute, Mordy. Didn’t think you’d remember me sayin’ that let alone actually do that. C’mere.”

Mordecai would probably find the skull rattling kisses against the side of his face “cute” if each one wasn’t making his headache throb.

Putting a hand on Brick’s chest and pushing he was finally allowed his freedom with a grumbly, “One second.”

Digging around in the drawer he pulled out one of the bottles of water and chugged the whole thing in one go with slightly more pain pills than is probably prescribed. I mean, those things can’t hurt ya, right?

Brick just watched curiously, not even thinking to stop Mordecai from making his third solution to this be ‘cracking open another beer and drinking half the damn thing in one go.’

Putting the half drunk bottle on the side table, Mordecai at least swung his legs back up onto the bed and smushed his face into the center of Brick’s chest to try and block out the accursed light, “My head’s fucking killing me.”

“Yeah, you, uh,” Brick tried to badly pad the question in his mind, “Lot to drink. You remember most of last night?”

“Remember throwing an empty bottle at Roland’s stupid head,” Brick felt Mordecai smile against his chest, “Told that jackass what’s up.”

“Bottle wasn’t empty.”

“Shit, I wasted it?”

Brick really didn’t think that was the problem, uncomfortably and truly not enjoying the conflict placed in front of him, “Don’t think that’s the important thing t’take away from that…”

Mordecai grimaced, he wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly what part of that interaction Brick clearly didn’t like. He wanted to make some snide comment about it, try to convince Brick has was the one in the right but he just dropped it instead, “Whatever. I do anythin’ else?”

“Well, you tried to convince me that we should steal the piece of the Vault Key and run away together…”

“We doin’ that?” Mordecai asked, pushing back with a grin, “Drunk me has good ideas, sometimes.”

Brick was frowning back at him though, “I don’t wanna leave…”

Sticking his face back into pec city, Mordecai grumbled, “Killjoy.”

He didn’t see the trepidation on Brick’s face but he could hear it in his voice, “Mordy, I just… kinda wish you’d at least try’ta connect with the others…”

Every word of that sentence felt dragged out of the man, some fear insistently tugging on his arm.

He tensed up even more when Mordecai made an annoyed noise, a ‘tch’ of disgust.

Honestly the flexing of so many muscles around him was vaguely intimidating to Mordecai, who already didn’t want to say what he was about to be saying. Having a moment where he questioned why Brick had so quickly gotten him wrapped around his oversized finger, “Fine. I ain’t gonna play buddies but I’ll try not to start fights. I guess.”

Man, that was noncommittal.

But Brick was a simple man and was willing to take the somewhat questionable offering, giving Mordecai a squeeze.

“Ghk,” Mordecai patted the arm, “Too hard.”

“Ha, sorry.”

\- - -

“What’s his problem?” Roland fiddled with the antenna on his ECHO device, fixing it.

“You know,” Lilith dangled her shirt in front of her bra-clad chest, “That’s the most serious and annoyed look I’ve ever seen on a partner’s face while I’m half naked. Like, ever.”

“Sorry,” Roland apologized giving her a humorously clinical up and down, ignoring the bright flash of laughter at that, “Just… get caught up in things when they’re bugging me. You look nice.”

“You look nice, he says. You’re friggin’ adorable, you know that right?”

“Yeah,” Roland answered without an ounce of bragging, still obviously a bit caught up in the Mordecai situation.

Lilith laughed behind her hand again, trying to cram it down and be a supportive girlfriend, “I’ve met a lot of people trying to find out more about being a Siren and just… people like Mordecai have just been… hurt. They’ve been hurt so they kick and stab and bite anyone who they think is going to hurt them again. If I had to take a guess, Soldier Boy, Mordecai’s had someone trying to control him before.”

“I’m not trying to ‘control’ anyone, I’m just trying to… be a leader. Like I’ve been trained to be. Part of being a leader is making the calls nobody likes but it keeps everyone safer.”

“I know and I think you’re doing a good job but with people like Mordecai… sometimes you just have to let them play leader.”

“What do you think we should do?”

Lilith pulled her shirt over her head with a shrug, “Maybe just… let’s split up today. You go with Mordecai and try to crack that nut, I’ll go hang out with Brick.”

Roland pulled a face at that, “Why don’t you hang out with Mordecai and try to figure it out and I get to hang out with the big ol’ murder teddy bear?”

“Nah, I ain’t playing middle woman to this problem. You go and try to get Mordecai talking to you, maybe stop insulting his bird, maybe try to offer up more about yourself. I mean, just show him that Roland charm you’re always hitting me with.”

 

“It’s different,” Roland replied, “You’re a pretty girl I like and he’s a kinda ugly guy I don’t really want anything to do with.”

“Aww, I’m pretty? But maybe try anyways. I mean, it worked for Brick? He got in there and Mordecai seems like he’s all about him now.”

Roland scratched at his hair with an awkward laugh, “I guess, not like I can take the exact same path as Brick but I’ll find… some other one.”

“Why not?” Lilith obliviously asked.

Quickly evaluating the situation, Roland decided he didn’t want to say anything in case his suspicions are wrong.

Diverting with, “Just not as friendly as Brick is.”

“Well, I believe in you,” Lilith shrugged on her jacket, “Hey maybe I’ll give you a reward if you can do it.”

“What kind of reward?”

“I’unno, I’ll try to think of something, maybe something sexy. Got all day just hanging out with Brick to pick and choose, maybe even have him help figure it out. Utilize all five of his brain cells.”

“I get the feeling that anything Brick finds sexy is going to be not a terribly good time to me.”

“Hey, we’ll find out.”

\- - -

By the time everyone wandered out of their rooms the awkward vibe in their little hallway was palpable.

Mordecai had apparently decided that the best way to not start a fight was to refuse to even look at Roland and Lilith. An easy feat when he could just sulk behind Brick’s bulk, all but pressed against his side even though he trended towards a complete lack of public displays of affection.

Not to mention the fact his brain was still raging against his skull. Dulled a bit by the pain pills and the water and the more booze but still leaving him deeply, deeply uncomfortable.

And he wasn’t going to be given his meat shield for long.

At the suggestion of splitting into two groups, Mordecai wasn’t able to keep his mouth shut.

Eyes narrowed, he stuck his head around Brick’s arm, “I want to stay with Brick. Like normal.”

“C’mon, it’ll be good for combat dynamics,” Lilith let herself be the beacon for Mordecai’s annoyance, knowing she would weather it better, “We can be a bit clumsy in a group and considering the… explody nature of my stuff it’d probably be a good thing to get some practice on the front lines with the person most in danger of being in the splash zone.”

“Or, hear me out, we could not do that,” Mordecai responded, grabbing Brick’s wrist, “And we could just avoid each other in combat. And in general.”

He cringed at the heavy hand on his head making it throb again painfully, Brick trying to be a team player, “C’mon Mordy, it’s just for one day.”

‘Don’t start a fight’ was invisibly attached to the end of that sentence.

Mordecai shot Brick a look that sent him shrinking away before relenting, “Fine. Whatever. Just for today.”

“Haha, hell yeah!” Lilith raised a fist to Brick and instantly regretted the fistbump she received in return, “Aughhrgh…”

The affectionate pat on the head nearly knocked her over, Brick sheepishly grinning, “Sorry.”

Roland raised to hand to try and get a similar reaction from Mordecai, a simple high five.

The man just glowered at him.

\- - -

Silence. Cold and pointed and needling Roland in the back of his neck.

Looking over at Mordecai the main was pointedly avoiding eye contact while they walked through the Rust Commons, looking to collect more missing ECHOlogs for a patron they’d yet to even meet.

By the vague, upward tilt of his head, all Roland could assume he was doing was watching his bird fly overhead like that was some great distraction and not what the creature did for literally hours every single day.

Bloodwing seemed to like the extra attention though, occasionally swooping down to fly closer to them. It was really one of the very things that ever seemed to put some hairline cracks in Mordecai’s mask of annoyance.

For a split second Roland considered the option of “befriending Bloodwing” as a speedrun tactic to making Mordecai like him more but the memory of a squawking bird flapping angrily at Lilith and her now bloodied, nipped open finger was a deterrent.

Frankly, he thought the thing was ugly and mean.

Guess that was fitting for Mordecai.

He wanted to laugh at his own joke but just about the worst thing to break the silence would probably be laughter. Instead he tried just… talking to the man.

“Man, you ever get tired of seeing nothing but dirt and sand?”

“No shit, thanks for the insight.”

Ouch, harsh shutdown.

But Roland was prepared for that, “I’ve heard it’s real lush up on Artemis, lots of trees. You miss ‘em?”

“You miss the oppressive military hierarchy of Promethea?”

Second shutdown. Still something Roland had braced for.

Trying to connect on a more personal level, Roland went in on a subject that deep down he couldn't care less about, “Bet trees would be fun for Bloodwing, lots of places to hide.”

God it was amazing how Mordecai managed to wildly project the most soul piercingly sharp look of ‘are you fucking stupid?’ with his eyes completely non visible, “Why the hell would he like trees? He doesn’t even have to land often, only does it when he’s lonely. He ain’t gonna go hide in the trees where he knows I can’t see ‘im.”

“I… don’t know,” Roland looked down, third time’s the charm on not expecting the shutdown, “What does… what’s Bloodwing’s favorite snack?”

“You don’t like or care about my bird, stop pretending like you can, do or would. It’s annoying and fake and I hate it.”

“What don’t you hate?” Roland grumbled under his breath.

“Bloodwing. Brick. And Lilith’s alright, I guess.”

Roland’s exclusion was pointed.

\- - -

Further in, Brick and Lilith were having much less of a bad time although Lilith’s reckless driving was making Brick a bit nervous. And also maybe a little bit queasy. Honestly felt pretty glad when they got to their destination.

Stumbling as he got out, he laughed at Lilith’s kinda pathetic attempt to help him stay upright, “Ha, be careful. Wouldn’t be the first person I accidentally crushed.”

“What? You don’t think I’m strong enough to help you up?” Lilith threw a few mock punches at his chest, not even making him move an inch, “I can take you, big man.”

“I mean you prolly can,” Brick caught her left fist easily, “‘Cept it’d be a lil less punchy and a lil more brain melty.”

“Hey, I can be punchy!” Lilith nailed what would have been a solid punch in anyone else to Brick’s chest, “I’m just holding back right now. I can infuse my left handed punches with Siren power and really knock someone on their ass if I want to. Just don’t wanna hurt you.”

Looking around and finding them in the company of absolutely zero enemies, Brick just smiled and patted his chest, “Really? C’mon, I wanna see.”

“I’m not gonna punch you out in the middle of nowhere,” Lilith spread her arms out wide, “What if I knock you out or something? I can say with absolute authority I can’t drag your ass back in the car. Hell, I’m pretty sure it’d take the whole team just to get you off the ground.”

Brick crossed his arms, “Sounds like someone’s backpedalling.”

Narrowing her eyes, Lilith looked down at her balled fist, “Alright fine but if we’re gambling on that I say we gamble in general.”

“Five hundred bucks if you can move me, thousand if you can knock me on my ass.”

“Hope you can pay up,” Lilith flexed, lighting up her tattoos, “What do I get if I accidentally knock you out?”

“Thousand five hundred.”

“Alright, big man,” Lilith backed up, very evidently going for a running start, “But then I also get bragging rights.”

“Duh,” Brick uncrossed his arms, hands on his hips. Barely bracing, “Hell, I’m gonna brag about you if you can do either.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Lilith cocked her head, “Now I’ve gotta.”

For a second, Lilith just bounced on her heels getting herself hyped up before sprinting the twenty, thirty feet towards Brick with her tattoos a’blazing. Focusing on nailing him in the chest, no need to gut punch the guy and double no reason to sock him in the face.

When her fist met muscle there was a bright flash, a burst of carefully controlled energy that just-

Sent Brick flying.

With a heavy slam, he hit the cracked ground in a poof of dust.

For a long, heavy second, Lilith just stood there with her fist still out. Look of surprise on her face. She’d thought she could move him, maybe knock him over but sending him flying. And was he… was he okay?

The answer came a second later, Brick laughing thunderously and pushing himself up, “Damn girl, you strong as hell.”

This time he didn’t brush off the woman trotting over and helping to pull him up. Even if she wasn’t doing nearly as much without her left arm lit up like a Mercenary Day tree. He nearly returned the favor by giving her an appreciative pat on the back that nearly knocked her over.

“Looks like I owe you a thousand.”

“And bragging rights!”

\- - -

Crouching outside of the large bandit encampment, Mordecai was left thinking “wow, this is stupid” and “we should have brought the others.”

Unbeknownst to him, Roland had specifically picked this location to show some kind of weird trust and faith in his abilities. Thinking that picking a small target would only further insult the man.

But now even he looked uncertain when Mordecai looked over at him.

The next words that came out of his mouth only made Mordecai angrier, Roland asking, “What do you think we should do?”

“You wanna play leader until shit gets hard? Real classy fucking move, man.”

“I’m trying to just… fuck, whatever,” Roland shook his head, “I say we stay out here and try to draw them out. Decent choke point. You stay as far back as you can and pick off people as you see them come out. I’ll try to lure them out in the middle ground. Have your bird chase after anyone hiding and if I get crowded out. We don’t have Lilith or Brick so I’m the only midrange and there’s not as much defense.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Mordecai’s voice dripped with sarcasm, more than happy to get as far away from Roland as possible.

He knew he was walking much further back than necessary, annoyed at having nothing more than a big pile of rocks to clamber up onto. Barely any height but it was better than nothing, at least giving him a better angle over the soon-to-be-turret.

Bloodwing landed next to him as Roland readied himself, the creature curious about this set up. Frankly any time they fought with other people the bird seemed uncertain. If Mordecai didn’t know better it was almost like his pet didn’t like sharing the attention. Ah, who was he kidding? It was exactly that.

Frankly, he was surprised Bloodwing wasn’t more jealous of Brick. Although the constant snacks the giant man just seemed endlessly compelled to “sneak” to Bloodwing were probably a factor there.

Stealth wasn’t Brick’s forte but luckily for him, Mordecai just found it endearing.

“Alright, Blood,” he addressed the bird, pointing along the edges, “Scare people out and keep Sergeant Jerkass safe, alright?”

Mordecai was never quite sure exactly why or how but Bloodwing always knew exactly what it was he was saying. Taking off after making an affectionate little warbling noise at him, circling high above the town and waiting for the fight to break out.

\- - -

Stewing by his turret, Roland tried not to think too hard about the fact that his only backup for a fight this size was a man who openly hated him and the large raptor who’s descend upon him and rip him to shreds at the mere suggestion that Mordecai wanted that.

For a moment he felt a twist in his gut, weighing exactly how safe this was. I mean… he’s literally told Mordecai to fire around him. Be real, real fuckin’ easy to just shoot him in the head and leave his corpse for the bandits to scavenge. End up one of those skull decorations.

The only security he felt was the absolute certainty that Mordecai was a terrible actor and would fear getting found out. Brick wasn’t a bad guy, he sure as hell wouldn’t want to stay with a man who’d put down a teammate like a sick dog.

At least, Roland assumed they were together. As far as he could tell.

While Lilith had seemed to not realize anything he at least could. Debated telling her constantly but just… they seemed secretive about it, or at least Mordecai did.

Was it a secret or just a consequence of Mordecai not terribly being one for public displays of affection? Didn’t seem like the type to tolerate that. Most he’d let Brick do is put a hand on his back or play with what hair was sticking out of his mask at all ends.

But for all he knew that could be a crush on Brick’s end and merely Mordecai being more likely to tolerate someone touching him if he had any sort of fondness for them.

Anything on Mordecai’s side was much, much quiet. The scrawny man tied just a little too tightly to Brick’s side, too nice. Not sharply snipping and biting at Brick over every little thing. Lilith always received less of that than himself but she still got a fair amount of it.

But Brick got borderline none and if he did, Mordecai seemed quick to smooth it back over.

He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t like the man.

Who knows though? Dude’s impossible to read.

For all Roland knew, Mordecai could just be eager to lap up the attention of a sycophant. Seeing a crush as an easy way to get the adoration of another human being without any obligation to be more than just “slightly nice” towards them.

God, even if he did know or find out should he just tell Lilith? Partially because it wasn’t his place, partially because he thought it would be more fun for her to find out on her own.

Roland was jerked suddenly out of the endless bog of his thoughts but the sharp, sudden gunshot ringing out over the town.

A bandit about forty feet in front of his burst into a firework of blood and brains.

Apparently Mordecai wasn’t good at being patient.

\- - -

Mordecai couldn’t help but smile cruelly, watching Roland feel the heat from down there as he crouched behind his shitty little turret.

As much as he hated the dude he wasn’t going to let him get ripped to shreds but he certainly was enjoying the added stress of his shots delaying just a second. Just enough to get the soldier’s heart racing before bursting their heads open right in front of him.

Bloodwing sometimes detracted from that goal of making him sweat, the bird diligently swooping back to clear it out if too many of them crowded around Roland.

Such a good, clever boy though. Couldn’t even begin to be angry at him for that.

Focused in on his task he didn’t realize he wasn’t exactly unnoticed anymore. More than covered from the town but unaware of the pack of animals starting to scramble towards him.

Skags. It was always fucking skags.

But he didn’t know that, eye on the scope, revelling in his childish revenge.

Thankfully a certain feathered companion is always on the lookout for him, even when he’s not looking out for himself.

Leaving Roland a bit in the lurch, Bloodwing was quick to abandon him the second he saw the skags’ interest in his squishy human father. Mordecai pulled out of his sniping as he watched the bird descend. Only to see him whip past and make quick work of the pack of skags.

Mordecai made a mental note to try and scavenge their corpses for disgusting, fleshy treats.

A shout brought him back to the present though, just in time to watch Roland narrowly dodge a psycho buzz axe aiming to shred him from throat to gut. Swearing, he whistled for Bloodwing to head back and help the bastard out before he could get his stupid ass killed out there.

\- - -

“So, how long you been a Siren? It a birth thing?” Brick asked through a mouthful of Rakk Hive steak, “Nobody knows anythin’ about ‘em on Menoetius. Don’t think we’ve ever had a Siren of our own.”

“It’s not a birth thing, at least it wasn’t for me,” Lilith shook her head, pushing around her fries, “We don’t know much here or on Dionysus really. Since there’s so few of us it’s hard to share notes, especially since Sirens are reluctant to share too much over the ECHOnet. Make us too easy to track down.”

“So, didja just wake up one day and boom! Cool powers!”

“It’s not…” Lilith awkwardly tried to pick up her overstuffed skag burger, “I don’t know about others but when I got my powers… it wasn’t a fun time.”

Brick just tilted his head at that, looking like a massively oversized puppy. Especially considering the food smeared on his face.

“When I got my powers it… it killed my dad.”

Instantly, it was very obvious Brick had been expecting some humorous tales of magical puberty and not parental homicide.

But at the same time the look on his face was also still curious, even though he was definitely not about to ask any further questions. Even though he really, really wanted to.

Lilith figured she had no reason not to oblige him, “I’ve… I’ve heard about that from other Sirens or at least tales of them. That it happens suddenly and often takes someone you love from you in the burst of power.”

“I’m sorry…” Brick started before she raised a hand.

“It’s not your fault,” Lilith took a bite of her burger and swallowed hard, “I get that people have questions and hell… I’ve got questions myself. I know I’m a walking, talking oddity. It doesn’t bug me.”

“Sirens are cool,” was Brick’s dull reply, just nodding along like Lilith hadn’t just told him the biggest downside to her powers possible, “I wish I was a Siren.”

“Ha, thanks,” Lilith reached up and pinched a scarred cheek, “You are so friggen’ adorable, how are you so cute? I’ve watched you literally punch a dude’s head off but I still wanna like buy you a little sweater and carry you around in my non-existent purse.”

“I do like little sweaters,” Brick said, only to more laughter.

\- - -

“What the hell was that?!” Roland stomped over to the rock after the last of the bandits was dealt with, “You stop shooting, the bird stops swooping, I’m just sitting there like a lame duck!”

“Skags snuck up on me,” Mordecai spat back, Bloodwing crying out overhead, “Couldn’t have expected that.”

Mordecai liked the way Roland had to look up to see him on his stony perch, shouting up at him, “You could have at least warned me or something! Given me some heads up that I was gonna be without cover for a minute!”

“What the big bad soldier boy can’t take care of himself for two goddamn minutes?!” Mordecai leapt down, landing heavily in front of him, standing up straight, happy that even on even ground he could hold his head above Roland’s, “You need a babysitter? ‘Cause I ain’t been paid to babysit in my entire goddamn life and I ain’t about to start now.”

Looking down at Roland, the man looked fit to burst. Mordecai had the feeling that if he placed his hand on his forehead, it’d instantly scald him.

He watched the man force down the anger in a way that was almost impressive. Literally swallowing his pride, adam’s apple bobbing before he answered, strained and raspy, “We’re heading back to the others.”

But Mordecai wanted to delight in his misery for just a little bit longer, turning around and walking towards the skag corpses, “In a minute. No reason to let some perfectly good skag corpses go to waste, Bloodwing loves skag tongues.”

Unwittingly, he’d answered Roland’s question from before.

Roland didn’t care about that though, stomping after Mordecai and trying to grab his arm as he reached back to grab his sword, “No, we’re goi-”

Sidestepping the attempt, Mordecai pulled out the sword and pointed it at Roland. Non-threateningly, like a pointer, but still, “No. We ain’t. Been a few since I’ve been able to get him his favorite and he’s used to eatin’ it all the time.”

“I should just leave you out here,” Roland growled, “Maybe a long walk home would teach you some respect.”

“Oh yeah, Brick an’ Lilith’ll just love that,” Mordecai laughed, crouching by the first skag and getting to work, “Especially Brick. He’ll just love that you dumped me in the desert to fend for myself. You should absolutely, definitely go and piss off the giant who you regularly watch beat people to death with his bare hands. See how that goes for you.”

“You’re a cowardly little man,” Roland spat back, “All you do is find someone scarier than you and hide behind them like a cheap tediore shield.”

“Watch who you’re callin’ little, pendejo,” Mordecai stood back up and sauntered at him, sword in one hand and a bloody tongue in the other, “Or you’ll see what I’m like when I ain’t bein’ nice to play with the other kids.”

Roland flinched at Mordecai’s hand jerking up, hand already on his sidearm. Mordecai not reaching to strike him but just tossing the tongue in the air. Quickly snatch in midair by an expert swoop from Bloodwing.

He’d die before admitting it in this moment but the way Mordecai didn’t flinch at the small rain of blood was a bit unnerving.

Rage pushed in forward though, not relenting for a second, “Sounds like you’re still hiding but this time behind your stupid bird.”

Wrong insult choice.

He was dazed by the sudden and sharp punch, not expecting it from the left. A sharp splash of red bursting across his face on impact. A split second cause for alarm before Roland realized that the blood wasn’t his own, merely a consequence of Mordecai’s grim harvest.

But if Roland didn’t disarm him the next attack might.

Mordecai hissed, shaking his left hand in a way badly disguising the fact he’d hurt it.

An opening. Roland easily grabbed his right arm and twisted, getting a sharp yelp as Mordecai dropped his sword to the ground.

The attempted retaliation was clumsy, Mordecai just yelling an insult that almost comically telegraphed to his next punch. Easily deflected and the shove he got in return putting him off balance, even though he managed to try and turn it around. Hooking a pointy arm around his neck and taking the man down with him. Pinning Roland and going for a cheap shot.

But he didn’t even get that far before it was instantly inverted, a sharp spike of shame jabbing into his chest at being pinned by Roland far too easily. Arms shoved against his chest, completely immobilized. Boots awkwardly scraping against the ground to no avail.

Defeated. Very easily too. Their scuffle over in a matter of seconds.

That only made him angrier.

“Get the FUCK off me!” Mordecai barked, “I’ll fuckin’ make you regret thi-”

“Not used to someone callin’ your bluff, huh? What’re you gonna do? Suckerpunch me with a fistful of blood again? Go and hide behind Brick again like-”

A loud scream broke the air, right over Roland’s head as his back was harshly raked by long talons.

That got Roland off him.

Cackling, Mordecai held out an arm and called out proudly, “Good boy!”

Roland pushed himself up, wincing at the pain on his back. Been injured enough to know at least it wasn’t anything too extreme but damn did it hurt. At least it was obvious Mordecai didn’t intend to take this fight any further. Already considering himself the winner. Grimacing, he just… gave up. Sounding defeated, “Let’s just go home…”

Mordecai was downright chipper though, letting Bloodwing take off. Voice abnormally singsong as he walked over and picked up his sword again, “I told you I was gettin’ Bloodwing snacks first. Woulda thought those fancy new scars on your back would make it pretty obvious you need t’give up trying to control me.”

“I’m not… I’m not trying to control you. I’m trying to be a leader.”

“Same difference.”

“No, it’s…” Roland started before stopping. Going quiet, just watching Mordecai for a second. The man utterly unphased by how gross his task was, pulling out the tongues in the first place, let alone jamming the sword around the skag’s mouth until it broke free. Disgusting.

But that's besides the point, a different thought sinking into Roland’s head.

He’d been trying to force Mordecai open with a proverbial crowbar when maybe he should just…

“Spent my whole life being trained by Atlas to be a leader. Never understood why they’d chosen me but everyone else seemed to think it was a good idea.”

“Wow, ask me if I care,” Mordecai didn’t even look back.

But Roland just continued, “Worked my way up to sergeant, even got to handpick my own squad to fight by my side. My friends, my family. A four-man unit just like ours now.”

“Let me guess,” Mordecai’s voice hadn’t lost the sarcastic edge, “A sniper like me, a brawler like Brick, and a… whatever you’d consider the equivalent of Lilith. Uh, probably not a Siren, explosives expert? Chasing some military high before they kicked your ass out?”

“No, not exactly,” Roland cautiously approached Mordecai like a wild animal he was afraid would lash out at him again, “Not chasing ‘the high’ but there’s one connection between then and now. Not really anyone that reminds me of Brick or Lilith but one of them kinda reminds me of you.”

“Oh wheee, was he your bestest friend forever? You want me to make you a friendship bracelet?”

“No, not really. It’s true she was a sniper like you though. Loved animals too. Bit more chipper and childlike about it though. Remember beating these big nasty beasts only for her to scoop up one of their babies and decide she wants to take it home and make it her pet. Looked so happy about it, named it and everything.”

This time Mordecai had no mean barb, just looking over his shoulder with a look that wordlessly asked why the fuck he was being told about this.

“Only had the little guy for about a minute before an Atlas sniper took her out from across the valley,” Roland tapped a finger into the center of Mordecai’s forehead, “Right between the eyes. Dead before she could even hit the ground.”

There was no cold comment about that either but Mordecai did turn his head and resume working but that… that had hit home. It was obvious, even as the man tried to pretend it hadn’t.

“I watched Atlas, the only life and home I’d ever known, gun down all my friends right in front of me in cold blood. All because we wouldn’t sit there and let them pin crimes on us, make us their scapegoat. We were fucked either way, a bullet in every chamber. Lucky I made it out alive but now it’s something I gotta live with every day of my life. Seeing someone you love die isn’t something that ever leaves your brain, no matter how hard you try. You’ll see it when you close your eyes for the rest of your life, branded onto your brain permanently.”

Mordecai stayed hunched over but he couldn’t really hide the fact he kept stealing looks back at Roland. His mask may hide his eyes but the rest of his body betrays him every time.

“When I try to lead everyone I’m not sitting here thinking ‘oh, I wanna be the big boss, I wanna be the hero.’ All I want to do is use my particular area of expertise to stop that from ever happening again.”

He watched Mordecai stand up and turn towards him. His stance may still be defensive and his mouth a thin line but still no poison barbs came out of him.

“The last thing I ever want to see is any of my friends dead, ever again,” Roland shook his head, “So I’m not playing hero, when I’m playing hero you’ll know it because I’d give my life in a heartbeat to keep any of you safe.”

Still Mordecai said nothing but the twitch of his mouth said it all. A crack in his armor, hairline but spreading rapidly.

“I know you don’t feel the same way about me, I know you don’t consider me your friend yet. But you never even gave me a shot, you shut down right out the gate and never looked back. All I’m saying is we’re in this together and all I want is a chance.”

The odd look Mordecai gave when Roland jutted out a hand almost looked like he didn’t know what a handshake was.

But slowly he lifted his own arm and grasped the extended hand firmly with a noticeably less hostile tone he said, “Alright, deal.”

Roland couldn’t stop his face from lighting up at that, letting go and giving Mordecai a firm pat on the shoulder, “Hell yeah, let’s go home now. Promise to buy you a few beers as long as you don’t chuck any of them at my head this time.”

Mordecai laughs that sharp, rasp hiss of a laugh which only makes Roland’s eyes light up even more as he actually makes a joke, “Now you’re askin’ way too much of me.”

\- - -

Walking back into New Haven really did feel like home, even as temporary of one as it might be.

The second he gets eyes on Mordecai, Brick happily trots up and picks him up in a somewhat painful looking hug. But if it was, he certainly didn’t seem to mind considering the half smile that’s crept onto his face.

Lilith does the same to Roland, albeit her hug a bit calmer and with everyone remaining on the ground. But a bit of pain nonetheless, Roland hissing at the pressure on his cuts.

Turning him around, Lilith examined them, “Oh shit, what happened?”

“Skags,” Roland half-lied, maybe two-thirds lied.

“Aww, let me get you up to the apartment and patch you up,” Lilith started tugging on his arm, “And don’t hit me with that ‘I’m trained in basic combat medical treatment’ I wanna do it. I can put a bandaid on the right way, swearsies.”

“Later, later, I’m fine,” Roland protested, managing to twist his arm to freedom and grab her hand in one fell swoop to start pulling her towards the bar, “Promised Mordecai a drink.”

Lilith and Brick were surprised at the sudden clap on the back that didn’t send the now back on the ground Mordecai skittering away.

Even more at the very, very tentative pat back.

Looking at each other behind their boyfriends’ heads, wondering exactly what had gone down out in the desert, even as their shocked looks turned into smiles and hidden thumbs up at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hobby is wildly alternating between completely ignoring what the comics said because they're explicitly not canon but also picking out pieces to use if they're useful to me.


	10. Maybe, Maybe

“And surely I can figure out how to get them together, the possibilities of that! Perhaps it merely clicks into place or perhaps a sort of magnetic connection between them! A particular sequence, perhaps? Oh, the possibilities!”

The way the energetic woman held the piece of the key over head and turned it around eagerly in her hands was anxiety inducing. Like she’ll drop it on her face and take a wild, excited green eye out.

Considering how much of the woman’s voice before this in ECHO logs scattered around they all had a picture in mind of what she’d look like.

Honestly? Most of them pictured someone sun baked, sunburnt, hair wild and clothes disheveled, scarred from being torn up by being nothing but a defenseless scientist abandoned on Pandora.

But Patricia Tannis was remarkably put together. Skin pale and unmarred, sensible clothing in good condition. Clean, almost immaculately so.

Those bright green eyes though. Wide and excited, looking everywhere but into her visitors’ own eyes.

That’s a bit closer to what they’d be expecting.

But her passion was undeniable, infectious almost. Certainly enjoyable to watch as she almost danced around, comparing the piece in her hands to her notes. Seemingly haphazardly scattered but she must know, the way she was darting between them so easily.

Lilith was the one who brought a gentle interruption to this, a careful hand on one of Tannis’s arms to try and press pause on her brain for a second, “Slow down there, tiger, you’re gonna lose the slower half of us.”

This stopped Tannis but a more more severely than intended. The woman stock still, unblinking, staring at the offending hand like it was a monster’s claw, ready to tear through her skin.

Pulling it away, Lilith weakly offered, “Sorry, I uh… no touching, got it.”

She heaved a sigh of relief as Tannis went right back to normal, chattering on about how Crazy Earl knew where the next piece of the key would be. The only other one she knew for certain the location of, although she had hints of others.

Nothing really lets you know what you’ll be dealing with more than a dude just being straight up named ‘Crazy Earl.’

\- - -

“I think he’s cute!” Brick countered the look of disgust Roland gave the small skag as it darted out his long tongue and gave him a slightly spiky kiss, “Like a weird sharp dog.”

The last on a long list of weird little tasks Crazy Earl had demanded of them. Return his pet skag, Skrappy.

“Weird sharp dogs that can kill us just as quick as they can kiss us,” Roland dodged another attempted lick of affection for the creature as it wildly wagged its hindquarters, “Maybe quicker, if I got anything to say about it.”

“Aw, he just likes you,” Lilith ran a hand over one of the smoother parts of the skag, “He can’t help it that he’s ugly and hurts people, can you boy?”

“Me an’ the skag got that in common,” Mordecai commented, reaching out to scratch behind where the creature’s ear would logically be, if it had them.

Brick sounded offended, grabbing Mordecai into a one armed hug that put his face slightly closer to the baby skag’s face than he would have liked, trapping him with a heartfelt, “You’re not ugly, you’re real cute.”

Behind them, Lilith gave Roland a big smile and a chipper thumbs up.

Roland returned the gesture but unlike her he was relatively sure that was more than just a throwaway statement.

It’d been a couple weeks of mindless busy work since they last talked to Tannis and a few days before when they’d split in two. With the newfound lack of outright hostility from Mordecai, Roland only was seeing more and more signs of Lilith’s matchmaker goals being futile.

He wasn’t sure when, but he was just shy of one hundred percent sure they were already a couple.

A daily debate for him was whether he should tell Lilith or not. Biggest thing holding him back being how excited she’d get if she either figured it out or heard it from the horse’s mouth. Or the bird’s. Or the dog’s.

Man, was he the only one here who didn’t like animals all that much?

The smoochy face Lilith was giving the skag said yes.

\- - -

Krom. They were looking for some dude named Krom. Bandit leader, weird encampment nestled in the mountains.

For some, they liked the cramped quarters, for others? Not so much.

“Hate it here,” Mordecai grumbled to Brick as they stepped through another enclosed space, Bloodwing swinging so low to the ground to followed, “Look at that, he ain’t supposed to be so close to the ground.”

“I think he’s still havin’ fun,” Brick noted the bird landing and looking around, being a bit restrained by going from perch to perch, “Like a lil’ adventure.”

Why did everyone seem to think birds have fun in enclosed spaces?

Mordecai shook his head, “Nah, he misses the open skies.”

Frankly, so did he. Mordecai wasn’t a fan of enclosed spaces either. Not like you can snipe as great when your back’s against a wall and a horde is closing in.

He wasn’t a stranger to revolvers, not by a longshot, but down here on Pandora he certainly preferred the kick of a whole ass sniper rifle in hands than being demoted down to something a little more close to mid range.

Brick on the other hand was clearly thriving. Enemies physically unable to run away from him? That’s his strong suit.

Not that many could outrun him anyways considering the fact he was towering over them.

But they had to just keep marching through, encountering grouping after grouping of dumb, mindless bandits to shred through.

And man, did they do just that.

The four of them had hit a healthy pace with their combat now that Mordecai wasn’t trying to yank the rug out from under Roland all the time. Neither was going to pretend that the two of them were best friends or anything but Roland had a strong suspicion that in time he’d be able to change that.

Also Mordecai’s continued, but more pleasant, standoffishness towards Roland still gave the soldier a strong suspicion how Brick- someone who Mordecai had easily been equally hostile towards- had speedran his way to being the man’s new favorite person.

Every day even more, he only had one explanation for why Mordecai was tolerating big ol’ Brick constantly invading his personal space bubble.

Roland always found himself looking over to Lilith, trying to see if anything sunk in but she’d just realize he was looking at her, startle a bit, and give an awkward smile as she brushed some of her hair behind her ear. Waving a little bit.

Just thinking he was flirting with her.

That was alright though, honestly he wasn’t terribly great at actual flirting so if she wanted to take those moments as that, all the more power to her.

Also he just really liked seeing that awkward smile.

On the other side, Brick had been just as interested in catching Mordecai’s eye.

Except while Roland and Lilith that in normal ways, staring at each other, batting their eyes, awkward smiling…

Well Brick would just smear someone across a wall with one punch and then look back from his bloody masterpiece obviously looking for praise from his spindly significant other. Wide smile growing only wider at just the slightest nod of the head in response.

The large man was easy to please, apparently, to Mordecai’s delight. Never was an overly affectionate partner. Nice to not have to push past that and be all lovey-dovey.

But when Bloodwing swooped back to him after it was over was a different story.

Cooing and scratching under the bird’s neck, making kissy noises at the bird which was imitating them back.

Not catching the slightly disappointed look on Brick’s face when he walked back over and received no further praise other than a literal pat on the back and a down-to-business, “Alright, another one down. C’mon, sooner we get this done the sooner we can get home.”

The other two caught up as Mordecai let Bloodwing take off again, the three of them already chatting about getting drinks later over dinner.

\- - -

As they twisted higher and higher up the valley Mordecai and Bloodwing seemed to lighten up a bit more, glad to see the open skies. Even Roland had to admit it was pretty cute to watch the bird perk up and do some tricks in the air.

Approaching the final area, they watched it open up wide. Valley criss-crossed by multiple bridged, leading up into a hanging structure with a mounted gun pointed right at-

Oh shit, pointed right at them.

Mordecai found himself yanked out of the way while the other scattered, going deeper in for cover.

Resisting the urge to make some sarcastic joke about Brick being his knight in shining armor, Mordecai pushed back away to peek around the corner, “Holy shit, how the hell the rest of you gonna get up there?”

Brick was a bit deflated at the lack of comment about his little rescue but now wasn’t the time to sulk, “Just gonna have to rely on cover, I guess.”

Roland and Lilith already doing so ahead of them, Mordecai went up on his toes and pressed a kiss to Brick’s cheek, “You be careful out there, okay? Get knocked off one of those bridges and get your ass killed I’ll be real mad.”

That made Brick perk back up, “I think I can handle gettin’ across a few rope bridges. ‘Sides, I got you watchin’ my back, right?”

“Of course,” Mordecai patted it, pushing him forward, “Go. Before Lilith and Roland get their asses kicked.”

It was downright humorous the way Brick always seemed to feel the intrinsic need to scream whenever her got running but given he was a living tank it was good. Pull some aggro off the others, gunning down bandits to get within range.

Good for Mordecai too. Frankly all three of them were great distractions, letting him get into a better position to take out Krom himself.

Also Bloodwing. Just get close enough, let him get in there. He never would leave Mordecai too far alone.

\- - -

Even with the pull of the others, Mordecai felt Krom’s attention whip back to him. Wasn’t an idiot, knew where to focus at the right time. Supposed that’s why the dude had dominated this valley so easily.

But he couldn’t keep his eyes on Mordecai forever. Bigger, louder targets were rushing at him and demanding his attention.

Still, Mordecai couldn’t get the right angle.

Each bridge brought him closer though and he’d be just as proud if Bloodwing did it.

Either way he wanted to at least be partially responsible for the man’s undoing. What could he say? He’s competitive. Even against friends and partners.

Taking a chance he bolted ahead when Roland next set up, knowing the soldier was glaring him down from the back. Sure he was going to get some sort of stern talking to about this like he had before, multiple times now. Felt like getting scolded by a teacher every time.

Roland appreciated the shift from “going to start a fight” to, at the very worst, “petulant child lightly annoyed at being chided” but it was still frustrating to watch the man not listen. Stressful.

But Mordecai had been a rebellious teenager and somehow being decently into his thirties hadn’t stopped that yet.

Plus only one thing mattered.

He was close enough.

The angle was shit but it was an angle, too close and a narrow margin for error but it was something workable nonetheless. Just gotta take him out in one, clean-

Shot. Right into Mordecai’s shoulder, nothing fatal, not even anything that’d cause any lasting damage. But damned if it didn’t sting, Mordecai quickly taking out the low ranking baddie that’d done it to him.

Swearing loudly, Mordecai slammed back against the cover as another volley of explosives were shot by Krom. He could see the others flinch back at that, his focus smartly keeping them away from their friend. Taking just a moment to call out to Bloodwing above, trying to direct the bird to clear out the area. Take out Krom. He was more than close enough, the bird just had to…

Circling. The dumb feathery asshole was just circling.

Mordecai screamed up at the birdbrained dipshit, “What are you, a fuckin’ coward?! Get in there, get killin’!”

But still Bloodwing continued going in circles, faster, but not descending nonetheless.

The barrage continued towards the other three, Krom leaving Mordecai for the bandits quickly descending upon him, his damn bird still playing a fool up in the air, waiting for some unknown-

Damn it, he can’t just sit here and wait for that. Pain biting at his shoulder as he stood up out of cover and at least tried to thin the herd of mindless bandits coming right at him but... 

Quick as a whip, Bloodwing twisted down from the sky. In a single, graceful arc the bird shredded not only the bandits making their way towards Mordecai but up and around the mounted gun pointing at his fleshy human father. Krom’s finger on the trigger a worthless, idle threat as Bloodwing took his head clean off. Talons digging into it, dropping it scraped up to the ground only a few feet away before making a beeline back to Mordecai.

Landing on his arm, instinctively raised, the flapping creature inadvertently made it impossible to do much to defend himself but that wasn’t an issue as the others cleared out what little remained on their way over the bridge.

By the time they all made it to their mostly-beloved sniper he was completely lost to them, happily scratching at the birds neck and kissing him on the head. Regardless of the blood getting all over his face and mask, Bloodwing living up to his name.

Would have been a lot cuter without the entrails and viscera hanging off the bird.

\- - -

“I can’t believe it,” Lilith shook her head, turning over the second glowing piece of Vault Key in her hands as they headed back towards Tannis’s little shack, “We’re halfway to a goal I didn’t even think was really possible…”

“Gonna be legends,” Lilith smiled at the firm hand on her shoulder, Roland pulling her close, “Whole galaxy’s gonna know our names.”

Tannis only bolsters this, a Vault key piece in each hand and her eyes lit up like fireworks, “Two pieces together at last! I never thought I’d live to see this day- barring, of course, my plans to convert my being into raw primordial energy to attempt intergalactic travel bypassing a ship succeeded- but this? Here? Down on Pandora? Dreams from a nightmare!”

Connecting them was easy, the way they fit together so natural that Tannis had to do little more than put them in each other’s general vicinity.

She was absolute trilling at that, her laughter erratic and infectious, “Fits like a Jarkonian Fist Mitt! Amazing, my theory about some sort of magnetic connection is correct! Or, something like that. I simply must examine this further, you’ve pulled together these pieces in just… no time at all! I hardly even was able to begin studying the inner workings of the first before you’ve brought another back to me.”

“I’m totally losing it over this,” Lilith stepped forward, Tannis reluctantly letting her take it back to look at the newly connected pieces, “This probably sounds super self centered but I can’t help but wonder if me being a Siren is like… drawing us to them. Or something.”

Lilith startled as Tannis suddenly not-so-gently grabbed her left arm, extending it with a tug, and ran her hand slowly and embarrassingly tantalizingly over the tattoos as she examined them, “Perhaps. Other than Commandant Steele I certainly haven’t heard of any Sirens on Pandora. Some on other planets, of course, one has even become the point of focus for a cult up on Athenas. Came across vague scribblings but it was never a topic I could properly pursue without- would you mind if I examined you sometime?”

The question was abrupt and punctuated by a somehow even more ghostly hand on her waist, icy cold and clinical despite the intimate positioning. Tannis merely closely examining the continuing tattoos, unaware of how blazingly red Lilith’s face had gone.

Roland’s mouth was a thin line as her grabbed Lilith by the shoulders and put some distance between his girlfriend and the overtly curious scientist, “Yeah maybe sometime me and her will swing by after one of our romantic picnics in the outcroppings.”

His point was completely lost on Tannis, who just nodded along, “Perfect, my door is always open! Because it was ripped off the hinges by the spiderants!”

“Ha, get jealous much?” Mordecai stooped to whisper and nudge him.

“Shut it,” Roland replied, out of range of the others, “You’d probably put a bullet between the eyes of someone who just looked at Brick a little too long.”

A shot in the dark to sate his curiosity about the two of them.

It landed.

Mordecai’s smirk was pointed, “Damn right I would.”

Maybe some wouldn’t take that as a direct confirmation but Roland was more than willing to take it as one.

\- - -

Roland was right, of course, but he wasn’t sure what to make of whether he should tell Lilith or not. Didn’t wanna take the joy of her figuring it out for herself though. If he’d gotten a spark of enjoyment out of prying that information out, Lilith’d lose her damn mind.

When they’d split off and headed back to New Haven they’d made some more casual plans with the other half of their group. Just pizza and booze in the room, a celebration.

To say that all of them were a bit giddy about the second piece of the Vault Key was an understatement.

Even Mordecai was more chipper, something he appreciated. They’re reached a peace but the man was still often best described as “slightly unpleasant”. But seeing him bloodstained but grinning was an improvement. Crowing praises for his clever bird and letting Brick get a little more handsy with him than normal.

Speaking of, Roland joked, “Do I gotta worry about you leaving me for Tannis?”

Lilith ceased her checking of the pizzas, making sure their order was right, “She didn’t mean it like that, she’s just… Tannis.”

They hadn’t known her for long but the woman had certainly left an impression on their group at large. Even Mordecai couldn’t hide a weird fondness for the scientist, erratic and odd but her passion and enthusiasm was absolutely virulent.

Maybe when they got the whole key together and got into the Vault they’d invite Tannis to that celebration. Do it up big, maybe just take over all of New Haven for it.

Ah, fuck it, no “maybe” the woman was so integral to this. Of course they’d invite her.

The real question was if she’d say yes.

\- - -

Across the hallway, Brick was watching the unusually animated Mordecai, enjoyment being squished down by something bugging him.

And the man wasn’t terribly good at hiding his emotions.

But Mordecai wasn’t the greatest on picking up on them either and so he idly chattered on about his undying pride in Bloodwing which was, ironically, the very thing getting him just a little bit twisted.

Eventually Mordecai did look up though, grinning with a bottle in his hand, “Think I should leave one for us afterwar- why are you lookin’ at me like that?”

His tone was confused, certainly not angry, but Brick shrunk back like he’d be yelled at, “S’nothing.”

“Why are you always so afraid to talk to me ‘bout stuff?” Mordecai walked over, putting his hands on Brick’s massive shoulders and trying not to feel dwarfed by the fact he was nearly on eye level with him sitting, “Am I that much of an asshole?”

“You’re not an asshole it’s just…”

“What?”

Brick felt even stupider hearing himself vocalize it, “Just… when you… when I do somethin’ cool and I get a nod and when Bloodwing does somethin’ cool you’re all…”

Jealous of a bird. Saying it just made him feel even more like a giant baby.

But honestly? Brick was far from the first partner of Mordecai’s to be envious of his feathered companions.

“You always looked so happy, didn’t know it wasn’t enough,” Mordecai pulled him into a hug against his thin chest, “Been doin’ that for weeks, when the hell were you gonna tell me?”

“I dunno, never? Y’don’t… really like snuggling up in public so I figured…”

“Man, I can still be a bit more energetic about it,” Mordecai patted him on the back, “Or, I mean, if you can be patient… just celebrate a little bit later?”

Mordecai could feel Brick smile against his tank top, tone suggestive, “Heh, like the sound of that.”

The smack on the back only made Brick laugh again, Mordecai rolling his eyes and pushing away a bit, “Creep.”

“I mean, y’can’t praise me like you do Bloodwing.”

“What, you don’t like getting scratched behind the ear?” Mordecai did just that, affectionately cooing, “You like that? Yeah, you my good boy? Did such a good job beatin’ people to death for me today, love watchin’ you fight.”

Still scritching at Brick’s buzzcut, Mordecai watched the man’s face go from surprised to confused to realization to sheepishly bright red all over the course of just under a minute.

As he planted his face into the middle of Mordecai’s chest to hide his embarrassment, the man just cackled, “Oh shit, you DID like that.”

Brick’s voice was muffled, “You, uh, wanna stay in and maybe do that again? For a while?”

Patting the giant arms currently tightly wrapped around his waist, Mordecai sounded uncertain, “We already told Roland and Lilith that we’d head over in like, ten minutes.”

“Yeah… can’t leave ‘em waiting,” Brick crushing down his disappointment was palpable but he just nodded and pushed himself up to get ready. Pausing to affectionately pull Mordecai into a side hug, planting a kiss on top of his head.

As he started to slide away though, Mordecai caught his wrist, “Maybe… maybe tonight, alright? After hanging out with them. Maybe.”

“You sure?” Brick’s face wrestled between an excited smile and a look of concern, “Don’t gotta do it if you don’t want to.”

“You think I’d ever do anything I didn’t want to do?” Mordecai shook his head, “Think you’ve known me just long enough that if someone tries to force me into something I’ll fight it to the death.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Brick laughed, settling back into the hug, “You’re real stubborn.”

“Damn straight I am,” Mordecai patted a massive shoulder before pulling back, “C’mon, let’s get over there before Lilith starts standin’ at the door and yelling dirty jokes through the door.”

“What? Don’t like an audience?”

“No shit, you just said it earlier. Why, do you?”

Brick just looked away with a way too telling smile, “C’mon, I gotta change my shirt. Got too much blood on it.”

“You do that, I’m gonna go grab Bloodwing,” Mordecai replied, “He deserves some pizza too.”

\- - -

Only Roland answered the door, inviting them inside. First look said that Roland and Lilith’s apartment wasn’t too much different from their own other than the fact she’d very quickly taken to decorating it herself.

Mordecai couldn’t help but wonder if the establishment would be terribly happy about the little armory wall she’d constructed. Did explain the weird, dull banging noise they’d heard a few times.

It was always weird to Mordecai to leave the house in casual clothes, at least on Pandora. Felt kinda naked without the mask and armor, even if this was still his normal clothes just… sans that. His hair even mostly down, just the dreads in the very front still tied loosely back.

Brick… man, he really doesn’t seem to own anything else. Same clothes as always.

With a dull clunk, Brick set down the case of beers they’d brought as their half of the evenings’ arrangements on the coffee table.

Roland didn’t look the craziest about Bloodwing being inside the apartment but seemed to calm down when the bird very calmly took to sitting on a chair like a little housepet. Pointy little feet curled under it and looking content.

“Lilith’ll be back soon,” Roland sat on one of the couches facing each other, “Said she doesn’t trust me not to get ‘the gross pizza’ again.”

“S’true,” Brick sided with her, “Could barely eat the last one you brought. Pineapple AND sardines, really? Disgustin’.”

“Brick you ate a whole one by yourself,” Roland countered.

“Yeah but I didn’t like it.”

“Then why did you eat that much?”

“Big man. Hungry.”

It had been funny back then, watching Brick eat the stock standard amount needed to fuel all nearly five hundred pounds of himself. Look of disgust plastered on his face with every bite but for some reason the idea of ‘I am an adult man with ample money who can easily go and buy myself literally whatever I want to eat’ never cycling into his mind.

That night had been one of Roland’s earliest guesses at the status of the two men. Baffled by how Lilith didn’t seem to think it was weird that noted picky eater and standoffish Mordecai was just being casually handed and eating the crusts from Brick.

Some a little more foisted upon him than others. Mordecai’d eaten maybe one or two pieces of crust willingly before having at least three more pieces insisted upon by Brick.

Frankly, the man needed it. And it was kind of sweet to watch Brick try and take care of him.

Lilith wasn’t long though, arriving with a stack of pizzas hoisted over her shoulder and saying in her best sultry, bad adult actor voice, “Did somebody order a pizza? Extra sausage?”

“Though we agreed no directing our own porn in front of the others,” Roland teased as Lilith exaggeratedly sauntered in and placed the stack on the coffee table between them.

“What? You don’t like an audience?” Lilith replied, crouching to sort out the boxes, “Killjoy. Anyways. I got one for everyone. Got disgusting bullshit, nasty pizza for you. Actually really did get extra sausage for Brick. Pepperoni for me. Mordecai… I don’t know what you eat so I just got you a smaller cheese pizza. Everyone give Bloodwing your crusts ‘cause he’s cute.”

The bird displayed his usual weird does-he-understand-us? by happily squawking at that.

Despite calling it small his was still clearly more food than Mordecai was going to eat by himself, the decent sized pizza placed in front of him.

The attention to detail was noted though, Roland smiling as he opened his, “And you said you’d never let this abomination exist in our apartment again. Thanks.”

“Love makes you do crazy things,” Lilith crashed down next to him, couch creaking in protest, “Even tolerate your boyfriend’s disgusting eating habits.”

Not about to tolerate his, Brick gave Mordecai a look that told him to open his and get eating like a normal person before replying, “Thanks Lil’. Always did like sausage.”

It was obvious. Pizza was like seventy percent of their diet and he always went right to it.

But Lilith went right for the dirty joke, “Yeah, you seem like a guy who just really, really likes sausage. Innuendo intendo.”

“Maybe I do,” Brick laughed, “Ain’t polite dinner talk though.”

Roland noted the somewhat wary look Mordecai gave Brick at that comment.

Not really wanting to get into a discussion about something so private, Roland changed the subject, “Man, two pieces of a Vault Key… and all this time nobody was even sure that the damn thing existed in the first place. Feels like… feels like destiny or something.”

That was definitely a weirdly lofty thing to come from Roland but Lilith had to agree, “Don’t wanna like, make myself the center of the universe or anything but I still can’t help but wonder if me being a Siren is helping in some way. Not that I could do it without you guys or anything.”

“I could see it,” Mordecai cut in, unsurprisingly being the first to make for the bottles of Rakk ale between them, “I mean, that shit’s gotta mean something, right? Not like the universe just doles out magic powers on a whim.”

“Didn’t take you for a spiritual man,” Roland replied, pulling out his first piece, “Always thought you’d be too cynical for something like that.”

Mordecai just shrugged, “Just sayin’. Universe ain’t so whimsical.”

“We can be though,” Lilith leaned forward excitedly, “What you guys planning to do with the riches we’re gonna get from this vault?”

So much supreme confidence in their success.

Honestly, after two pieces of the Vault Key… who could blame her?

“Not sure,” Roland answered first, “I’m not a man of grandeur… maybe try and use it to set up a place for refugees. Lots of evil out in this world and if I could help keep even a few people safe from this hell planet that’d be enough for me.”

“Oh man, now I don’t wanna say my answer,” Lilith threw her arms up, “You just made my plan to go on a pleasure cruise around the universe sound so shitty and selfish.”

“We could have both,” Roland replied, “Not like we can’t take a vacation from keeping a city safe sometimes. Just gotta get good people to help protect it.”

The look he was giving the other two are pointed.

“Man, I’ve been a petsitter before but now you’re askin’ me to be a citysitter? Sounds like a lot more work,” Mordecai replied, “Hypothetically an’ all.”

“Just once in a while,” Lilith had already decided, “I’ve always wanted to see the worlds. There’s so much out there and it took me so much saving to just get of Dionysus to here. But with that money… anywhere. We can go anywhere.”

“I’ve just been here and Promethea,” Roland looked up, “Hell of a scary place there, cutthroat as hell… but it was beautiful. Can’t deny that. Sprawling city, glowing, gorgeous.”

“Maybe we can go visit and stay in the fancy boy hotel suites,” Lilith tried to recall the cities she’s only seen in pictures.

“I mean, I’m kind of a fugitive from Atlas,” Roland understated, “But maybe in disguise.”

“Ooo, espionage!” Lilith chirped, turning her attention towards the others, “So what about you two? Joining us on a double date planet hopping extravaganza?”

“Getting off Pandora, that’s for damn sure,” Mordecai replied, scratching at his beard, “Ain’t got much of a plan for where to go though. Think I’d like Eden-6. Quiet place, lots of trees like Artemis but open space at the same time…”

“Not thinking about going to your homeplanet at all?” Lilith asked.

“Ain’t nothing there I want to see again.”

He obviously wasn’t going to elaborate.

“What about you, big guy?” Lilith finally addressed the happily eating Brick, “What you gonna do?”

Putting down the half eaten slice, Brick looked like he’d never even really given the concept any thought. Hell, he probably genuinely hadn’t. That fact growing more and more likely as he very obviously searched for an answer he didn’t have.

“Dunno, follow Mordecai?”

“That’s so friggin’ cute,” Lilith cooed, kicking at Mordecai’s ankle, “Looks like somebody’s got a fan.”

“About time,” Mordecai replied, leaning back with a big swig of his drink and putting an arm around the back of the couch, “Been deserving one of those for a while.”

Brick took it as a rare public opportunity to lean into, smiling at Mordecai instinctually putting the arm all the way around him, “Nah, you’ve had ‘em before. Bloodwing likes you.”

The bird stopped picking at the piece of crust Lilith was holding out to him for long enough to scream in response.

“But Brick is your biggest fan,” Lilith insisted, the misplaced matchmaker in her eyes glinting, “And I don’t just mean by volume. I mean also that but like… both.”

“Yeah, Brick’s great,” was Mordecai’s casual response that made a giant, bashful smile break out on the giant’s face at even the smallest amount of praise.

Lilith was content with that, turning back to the topic at hand, “God, I just… feel like I’m a kid again. Looking up at the stars and dreaming of a better life, a more exciting life. And now… I feel like it’s so within our reach that it almost hurts.”

“Man, I’ve got this picture from what I was a kid playing Vault Hunter,” Roland patted the ECHO device on his hip, “Never really thought I’d be out here doing it for real.”

“Oh you CANNOT just tell us you have a picture of baby Roland and just not share it?!” Lilith pawed at the device.

Instantly regret was obvious on his face, “What, I’ve gotta share my weird kid photos and you guys all get off scot free? Hell no.”

Grabbing her own and pulling it out, Lilith fiddled around, “I think I’ve got some of me with my dad? Tradesies?”

“Hey, I’ll even trade with everyone if they’ve got something to toss in,” Roland replied, already having pulled up the picture, “Just don’t want to be the only one out here showing a picture of me in a play pretend outfit with a big ol’ map I drew myself. Backwards letters and everything.”

She looked up at the other two expectantly in a way that made Bloodwing perk up too.

Brick was already eagerly looking in his, “I think I got one with my dog!”

Only Mordecai looked hesitant as he replied, “Yeah I, uh, got one. Picture of me and my first bird.”

The fact the little songbird was in it was the only reason he had it, really.

But Roland was already holding out his ECHO device to them, the picture of a bright eyed little kid beaming up at them. His clothing and map muddy, especially around the hands. Lil’ guy’d obviously been digging in the ground for this particular search. Hat giant and flopping over his head and his armor makeshift.

“If you don’t send that to me I’m breaking up with you!” Lilith held onto his arm bringing it closer to her face, “You were sooo cute! I mean, I guess it makes sense because you still are but yeah. Here’s mine!”

The picture was of a jarringly tattooless little girl, a very tiny Lilith being carried in an older man’s arms. Hands happily balled into his shirt, bright red hair and yellow eyes gleaming in the sunlight as she laughed with the man. Her dad, they felt as a safe assumption.

“Adorable, you can have mine if I can have yours,” Roland grinned, “Be like a preview of when we have kids someday.”

The change in Lilith’s face at that statement was almost imperceivable, caught only by Mordecai. Roland not even noticing the reluctance in her voice as she quickly changed the subject, “What about you, Brick? Gonna be honest, I can’t imagine what you looked like even vaguely smaller.”

“I mean, I was a pretty bulky kid,” Brick admitted, turning his around.

Lilith balked, “Holy shit, I didn’t know kids could be so… yeah, bulky. Bulky is the right word for it.”

It was true, the kid pictured still looked like he could kick the ass of anyone he wanted, even at a meager eight years old. Beefy little guy was holding up a dog nearly as big as his body with a giant smile on his face while the creature kissed at his face.

Mordecai couldn’t help but smile at that, “That’s Priscilla, right?”

“Sure is!” Brick patted the dog paw hanging off his chest, “Miss her all the time.”

Lilith smiled as she watch Mordecai reach up and pinch Brick’s cheek, “Friggin’ adorable. Gotta get you another dog sometime.”

Brick just beamed back, “What about yours?”

His smile faded away quickly, replaced by an uncertain look around the group. Trying to gauge a reaction without showing his hand, eyes notably lingering longer over Roland than the other two. But whatever trepidation he felt he handed the ECHO device over to Brick.

The other couple watched Brick’s face dip into confusion before the realization set in.

When it was handed to Lilith and Roland they had a similar reaction.

Mordecai replied with a deadpan, “Yeah, I don’t know how such a cute little girl turned into such an ugly old man either.”

The kid in the picture was tomboyish but evident efforts to girly up were evident and very obviously not voluntary. A half untied bow hung limply, half pulled out of thick, curly black hair. Tolerated presumably only because it was the only thing keeping the mass back. Big greenish eyes looking up happily at whoever was taking the picture.

A tiny little bird was carefully being held, clearly the actual intended purpose of this picture. Glossy grey wings and curious black eyes looking around.

Brick was the first to respond, nearly pulling Mordecai right over into a tight hug as he refuted the man’s previous statement, “Nah, you’re not an ugly old man, you’re a cute little man.”

The relief on Mordecai’s face was immediately obvious, lightly smacking Brick in the chest, “Told you like ten times, I ain’t little you’re just too big.”

“Never would have guessed this kid’s you,” Roland held it up to compare, “I mean, I guess the eyes? Weird seeing you without dreads too. Would have assumed it was your little sister or something if you hadn’t told me.”

Lilith tapped the screen, “Aww, is that little Bloodwing?”

Mordecai squinted, immediately distracted from all discomfort, “No? That’s not even the same kind of bird. That’s not even a raptor.”

A few blank blinks, Lilith followed up with, “... do you have pictures of baby Bloodwing?”

\- - -

Creaking open the metal window cover in the hallway, Mordecai stuck his arm and consequently Bloodwing out. The bird taking off, quickly circling up to his little hideaway up on the rooftop where he could watch over everyone.

Pulling his arm back in, he could barely even turn around before bumping face first into a wall of pecs.

Brick was eager to wrap an arm around his shoulders, guiding him back towards their room across the hall, “Y’have fun tonight?”

All over the night had gone well. As reluctant as Mordecai had been to share the picture it really hadn’t phased anyone in the least and if anything… they seemed to trust him more. The feeling was mutual, honestly.

Mordecai instantly returned the gesture, although around his waist instead, “Yeah, I really did.”

“Good,” Brick replied, unlocking the door with his free hand, “Thought you were, don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile that much.”

Had he been? Honestly, he’d gotten lightly tipsy. Maybe wasn’t completely one hundred percent aware of what his face had been doing over the course of the night. Whatever, they were his friends now. He guesses.

Brick let go to strip down to his underwear to sit on the bed, curiously watching to see what exactly Mordecai was going to do.

Pulling out his pajamas, Mordecai didn’t think much of it until he realized Brick was staring at him. Questioning him over his shoulder, “You gonna ogle me while I change?”

“Can I?” Brick asked with a sheepish grin.

Mordecai not really catching what was going on until their earlier talk clicked into his mind. The man waiting curiously to see if that “maybe” from earlier was going to blossom into a yes or a no.

Contemplating it for a split second, Mordecai made a choice in his head. Gripping the edge of his shirt and pulling it over his head. Hearing a quiet, content ‘heh’ from the bed as he ditched the pants and underwear too.

“Enjoying the show?” Mordecai turned and approached the bed, a hand on his hip and a cocky smile on his face.

“Hell yeah,” Brick enthusiastically replied, not bothering to hide the way his eyes roved over his bare body.

Never in Mordecai’s entire life had anyone been this actively excited to sleep with him.

The concept of that was… weirdly invigorating.

“Man, I’ll never understand your enthusiasm for me but damned if it doesn't make me feel pretty damn good about myself for once.”

Brick shrugged, “I dunno, I just like you. Wish you liked yourself a little bit more.”

“Hey, I’m working on liking other people right now I’ll worry about that shit later,” Mordecai responded, putting a hand in the center of Brick’s chest and shoving. Banking on Brick being very eager to play along. Which he was, crashing back against the creaky bed with a smile on his face as Mordecai swung a leg over him, “Right now I’m just thinking about how much I like you in particular.”

“I like you a hell of a lot too,” Brick laughed, letting himself be pinned down by the shoulders, “Now can you, uh, do more of that complimenting you were doing to me earlier?”

“That really stuck with you, huh?”

“One hundred percent.”

Ignoring the fact he had to all but overcome a mountain to do so, Mordecai pulled Brick into a kiss. Giving back the compliment that Brick was so fond of giving him, “You’re real fuckin’ cute. So, yeah, maybe I can do that for you.”

“That gonna turn out like your last maybe?”

“Ha, yeah.”


	11. Breaking Out In Hives

Hot. Dark. It’s hot and dark and yet somehow a sharp spike of scorching sunlight is spearing Mordecai right in the fucking eye.

“Mierda…” Mordecai pushed himself up to rectify that, nearly falling right back down as his hand just kept going before finally hitting mattress. Making it acutely obvious why he’d woken up feeling like he’d fall asleep on an overheating waterbed.

Brick was very easily the only partner Mordecai's ever had that he could comfortably fall asleep on top of. Well, mostly comfortable except, you know, a little too hot. But, hell, Brick’s big enough that he can shift to a different part of his expansive chest and cool down. Just swap pecs.

Maybe it was because he was still half asleep but last night didn’t feel real, been damn near a decade since the last time he’d slept with anyone. Probably think it was a dream if not for the fact he was still lying on a bare chest, entire body rising and falling as Brick breathed.

He actually wasn’t entirely sure how long it had been since he last slept with someone nor even who it had been, didn’t even know her name.

Just some sort of weird sharpshooter groupie that’d been lurking outside of some vaguely remembered small time competition. Good prize money though. She hadn’t really cared who he was either, a weird mutual kind of apathy. Hadn’t felt terribly good about himself afterwards when the woman had parted without even acknowledging him.

He’d spent most of the prize money on alcohol and bird food.

This was… not that. This was a real relationship with someone whose opinion he actually gave a shit about.

And very, very different from all his former relationships. Everyone he’d dated had been smaller, comparatively to very feminine, and smart as hell. 

Also he’d grown to hate each and every one of them over time.

Brick was the exact opposite of all of that.

Hopefully also the hatred thing.

It certainly felt different. Everyone else had seemed so utterly intent on making sure they were smarter than him or more popular and cool or, in one particularly unpleasant case, more attractive than him. Like they were doing him some sort of favor by being with him.

But Brick was just… for whatever reason, he just thought Mordecai was a hell of a catch.

Tilting his head, pointy chin digging into Brick’s chest, barely able to see him in the darkness of the room…

Well, Mordecai thought he’d gotten a hell of a catch too.

One blue eye lazily opening, probably either due to said sharp jaw or possibly the scratchy beard poking at him. Both stopping as Mordecai, pointlessly, looking away in embarrassment. Too late to play asleep? Yeah, that skag’s out the pen.

“Heh, you were watchin’ me sleep,” Brick sounded delighted, one big hand encapsulating almost Mordecai’s entire back, “S’adorable, you think I’m cute.”

Mordecai’s first instinct was to deny it but what the hell was the use of that?

“Maybe I was,” he patted Brick’s side, “Never done that before so you should feel pretty special.”

“I do!” Brick cheerily replied, “Heh, when I first got my lil’ crush on you I thought it’d be a hell of a lot harder to get your attention. Already was makin’ a whole plan to try and get on your good side. Now we’re a couple months in and you’re snoozing on my chest and watching me sleep.”

“Tch, it’s not that quick it’s been… a few months. Or something.”

“Get the feeling that’s pretty fast for you,” Brick patted Mordecai’s lower back, politely ignoring the fact they were coming up on a meager two months or so, “C’mon, let me feel a lil’ special?”

“Alright fine, fine. It was fast. Really fast. Especially for me. I sure as hell didn’t see this coming,” Mordecai replied, crossing his arms to rest his chin on and peer down at his partner, “Probably a lot less than you did. Frankly surprised you didn’t just give up after the first like… fifty times I was mean to you.”

“I could tell there was a nice part t’ya, hiding under all the mean an’ I really, really wanted to see it. The part that makes you all soft and sweet to Bloodwing.”

“What, you like the challenge? The chase?”

“Nah, just… feels a lot more special bein’ special to someone who doesn’t like a whole lot of people.”

“Yeah, I pretty much only like you an’ Bloodwing. Kinda Lilith. Tolerate Roland.”

“Hey, I’m just glad you’re at ‘tolerate’ level for Roland now,” Brick loved the way Mordecai buried his head into his chest again, looking ready to contentedly pass back out, “Think we can have that… just… playin’ hooky day? Today? Maybe?”

“Yeah, fuck ‘em,” Mordecai jerking his head towards the other’s room and provoking a wide, wide smile from Brick, “We’ve been working our asses off nonstop for months now. Doin’ shit every day.”

“Maybe they’ll like it too, have a date day of their own,” Brick grabbed Mordecai’s narrow hips with a devilish smile, “But I don’t wanna talk about them anymore, wanna get down to-”

His stomach betrayed him, growling loudly.

“I… uh…” Brick stuttered.

“No rush, we got all damn day,” Mordecai swung himself off of Brick, despite his surprisingly whiny noise of protest, “I’ll pick something up for you.”

Conceding, Brick pushed himself up to sitting at least, “Get wherever you want, you know I ain’t picky about what I’m eating.”

A thinly veiled nudge for Mordecai to actually eat a full meal for once.

Sighing, he nodded, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll… pick something.”

Crouching by their bags, contents haphazardly starting to mix together, Mordecai’s eye caught on something. Tugging on the strap of the tent-like tank top and pulling it out. Not recognizing the jagged logo on the front but if he had to guess it was for some backwater Pandoran band. Or possibly/probably a Menoetian one, considering it sounded like Brick hadn’t been here for too long.

He wondered what it was like up there. Brick talked about a family he was on good terms with. Both parents alive and four sisters.

Would he ever meet them? He hadn’t met a partner’s family since his teenage boyfriend.

And that… had gone poorly. Very poorly.

Brick let out a small ‘heh’ of amusal as Mordecai pulled it on, “Don’t fit you at all. I c’n see your entire chest.”

Adjusting it a bit for some vague, vague concept of modesty, Mordecai grabbed his own pants, “Not my fault you’re so damn big. Besides it’s Pandora, half the men we’ve seen here haven’t even had shirts, probably more. Hell some of these bastards don’t even wear pants.”

“Alright but don’t be gone too long, I’ll get lonely.”

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

Heading out, Mordecai caught his reflection for a split second in the mirror. The huge thing looked like a workout shirt on him, hanging limp and exposing most of his too-thin torso in the wide open sides.

Maybe on a normal day this would be more uncomfortable to him but he was feeling…

Brave? Could he call it brave?

Stemming from the armor of wearing a partner’s clothes, knowing someone was on his side. Something along those lines. And Brick was a hell of a person to have in your corner, nobody’d fuck with him ever again.

An idle smile lighting up his face, Brick enjoying the uncharacteristic cheeriness while it lasted. Sure that at some point the sheen would wear off.

But for now, Mordecai was all but skipping out of the apartment.

\- - -

Across the hall, their night had gone pretty much identical. Not a single argument was going to be raised against a day off. Roland didn’t even anticipate talking to them the entire day, giving them some distance as well as some privacy for himself and Lilith.

But by some sort of kismet, perhaps merely the necessity of a trigger for this scene in a fictional story, he walked out of their room with the same goal as Mordecai at the same time.

He wasn’t sure if he was more surprised by the lack of mask or the lack of proper shirt.

Mordecai opened his mouth to try and shut down any potential attempts to get them to work but a quick once over on Roland said the man wasn’t going anywhere either. Wearing a worn out old red shirt with “Atlas” emblazoned on it as well as some equally beat up black sweatpants. Did the man ever buy clothes for himself? How long had he been out of Atlas?

Didn’t matter, either way they’d had the same idea.

It was Roland who said something first instead, “You guys having a lazy day?”

“Yeah,” Mordecai replied, “Brick’s hungry.”

The answers were short but they weren’t hostile, Roland waving for Mordecai to follow him, “Me an’ Lilith too. She told me it was my pick but I don’t really know what I want. What’re you getting?”

“Don’t know,” Mordecai shook his head, “Brick told me to get whatever I want but I don’t…”

I don’t eat. I don’t like food. I don’t want food.

Roland wasn’t sure exactly which variation was swimming in the man’s mind but they were all equally bad options that upset the soldier’s empty stomach. Mordecai’s exposed side a terrifying ridge of ribs jutting out. Looking at the weird tank top absolutely hanging off of hom, Roland realized why it was so… out of place.

“Wouldn’t have taken you for the type to steal your boyfriend’s clothes.”

“I love it,” Mordecai’s tone was surprisingly soft and fond, tugging at it, “Perk of being so skinny, I’ve been able to squeeze into damn near every partner’s clothing. This is… the first time something’s been both too wide AND too long though.”

“It’s sweet,” Roland chanced, as they exited the apartments, “All I’ve ever had is ‘girlfriends steal all my sweatshirts.’ She’s not here but it’s happening right now. Lilith’s sitting there, the damn thing all squished up around her, bundled in both our blankets, drowning in pillows. Like a little princess.”

Mordecai wasn’t about to respond with what Brick was wearing, which was nothing.

But sweet, much like cute, was something he usually wasn’t called.

Weirder still hearing it from someone who wasn’t only not his partner, but that he’d fought in the desert just a couple weeks ago. Now calmly walking around town with him, chatting about their significant others.

“I don’t think Brick could even fit an arm into my clothes,” Mordecai gestured, “Never been with someone so… big.”

That sounded much dirtier than intended.

Roland felt a joke trying to claw its way out of his throat about the jerky, awkward way Mordecai’d been stumbling along. But he’d just gotten Mordecai to ‘vaguely friendly’, he wasn’t going to chance knocking that right back down to ‘openly hateful.’

“I haven’t dated a Siren before but I feel like that’s kind of obvious,” Roland looked at the choice as they approached the little food court-esque section of New Haven, “Not like that’s something I’d even seen before her.”

“I dated a Siren once,” Mordecai flatly replied.

Jerking his head up, confused, Roland shot him a look, “Really?”

“Nah, I’m just fuckin’ with you,” Mordecai raspily laughed, “Did date a chick who had a bunch of squiggly blue tattoos, sayin’ some stupid shit about how she believed she was supposed to be born a Siren. Some bull about ‘materializing her destiny’.”

“So you like people who are a bit less… academic?”

“Oh no, she was smart as hell otherwise,” Mordecai shook his head, “Just pretentious and so far up her own ass she could see the sky.”

“I don’t know about you but until I met Lilith I didn’t even believe Sirens existed, really.”

“Me either,” Mordecai paused, looking around at all the equally unappetizing options, “Hell, for a split second I thought she was a fake until she started lightin’ ‘em up.”

“Hey, don’t tell her I said this but were you insulted that she only gave Brick that weird, left-handed warning handshake?”

“That pissed me off, I mean, c’mon. Brick’s scary but I can kill someone from across a damn valley. Knew I should have brought Bloodwing onto the bus. Look a hell of a lot scarier when I’ve got him sittin’ on my shoulder.”

“You know it’s a lot harder to make friends when you’re actively trying to intimidate them, right?”

“Yeah but hey, it’s somehow still working out for me.”

\- - -

The stupid part of Mordecai’s mind hellbent on being unpleasant was making him feel like he should be irritated at being forced to associate with Roland for an extended period of time on his day off but he wasn’t.

Parting amicably, with an awkward wave bogged down by the sheer amount of food he was carrying.

The man at the register had shot him such a weird look at first, wondering how the hell the scrawny man intended to eat two large bags of Truxican food before looking at the oversized shirt and remembering exactly who was always following after the man like a lovesick puppy.

Brick hadn’t bothered to get dressed in Mordecai’s absence, lying in a way obviously meant to be seductive, “Y’took too long, I missed you.”

Tossing the food on the bed, Mordecai shed his pants again and slid back into the bed, “Ran into Roland on the way, talked a bit.”

Brick couldn’t be mad at that. Pleasantly surprised, really. Distracted from trying to be sexy by the prospect of food, pulling open the first bag greedily, “Look at you, makin’ friends. Proud of you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a real social butterfly,” Mordecai failed to dodge the affectionate pat that nearly pushed him right back off the bed.

His own pat in return was less clumsy, pausing to scratch at Brick’s short hair. Laughing at the way the man leaned unconsciously into it. Even with the distraction of food he was starting to tear into that persistent urge to gain approval still rang true.

As is to be expected though, Brick kept pausing to look at him.

A silent, subtle request that Mordecai eat something.

The dull pain of hunger was something he’d grown so accustomed to that he wasn’t even sure if he was.

Brick chose his words very, very carefully, “If we’re foolin’ around anymore you should eat a little, don’t want you passing out on me.”

Frankly it was surprising he hadn’t crashed before this, given that last night was significantly more physical activity than he was used to.

“I’m not gonna pass out, I know my limits,” Mordecai mused internally about how all his worst habits seemed to circulate around the concept of ‘know how much he can or cannot do before passing out from intoxication and/or starvation.’

Man, speaking of. Reaching over, he grabbed a beer and twisted off the cap. Taking a slightly too long drink before holding it out to Brick. Not a big drinker himself but the gesture was cute, accepting it and taking a much more modest sip before returning it.

Brick was regretfully right though about the other thing though, Mordecai sighing as he grabbed Brick’s wrist and stole a bite of the burrito in his hand. Trying to not visibly cringe too much at the gesture, choking it down like a snake.

“Stealin’ my clothes and now stealin’ my food, what’s next?” Brick hooked a finger under the borrowed tank top, “Why you still wearing this anyways?”

“I can’t sit around naked all day,” Mordecai batted the hand away, “I ain’t built like you, I get cold without something on.”

The hand quickly migrated to his waist, “Heh, I can keep you warm.”

“You know it’s pretty hard to seduce someone with food all over your face.”

The way Brick instinctively wiped his mouth on the lack of his forearm didn’t help.

Well, shouldn’t have helped.

“Can’t decide if that’s gross or cute,” Mordecai shook his head.

“S’cute. I’m adorable”

\- - -

The next morning Mordecai didn’t find himself peacefully snoozing on top of a massive chest. Curled up tightly against it this time, twisted at a slightly uncomfortable angle.

Maybe he should just make it a habit to sleep on top.

Rolling over he curled around the massive arm encompassing him. That was better.

Their day had been blissfully uneventful, nothing but slowly eating away at the bags of food while taking turns picking what to watch on the slightly dirty television. While Mordecai didn’t mind Brick’s odd mix of sappy romcoms and mindless action movies the reverse was not so agreeable. Brick bored out of his mind at the slow, meandering period dramas. Eventually giving up and watching Mordecai’s reactions instead.

He liked that at least. Failing to understand why his boyfriend was getting so worked up over a lady-in-waiting’s missing glove being found in the possession of Lord Gilderoy but enjoying the show-within-a-show.

Just laughing when Mordecai would take a halfhearted swipe at his arm, pointing at the tv with an annoyed, “Pay attention!”

He was. Just not to the very, very boring show.

It was no coincidence that it was Mordecai’s shows that were always being interrupted by Brick pawing at him.

All in all… probably the best day of Mordecai’s sad little life.

Which was probably why the dull, clunking sound of knocking on their door had him damn near ready to swoop out and kick the ass of whoever was daring to intrude.

Unsurprisingly, Roland’s voice came through the door, “Up and at ‘em, guys. Got stuff to do.”

\- - -

Now this? This was a misery. After a long, lovely day of being in the dark, not having to interact with anyone other than Brick, and being allowed to lazily lounge in a downright hedonistic way. At least by Pandoran standards.

Now he was being baked by the sun, crammed into the long front seat of a Bandit Technical, smashed between Brick and Lilith, actively annoyed they had to go hunting.

It was silly. He knew this would happen and, hell, isn’t the sort who’d be happy lounging around in a room forever and accomplishing nothing.

But he’d wanted to for at least a little while longer.

Maybe another day.

Or two.

But no, he was crammed into the car and following a lead he felt would be too good to be true. Then again… well, everything they’d accomplished seemed too good to be true.

He looked over at Lilith crunched into his side. Her arms crossed, trying to take up as little space as possible just like he was. Both of them knowing they were the less bulky of the team, the only ones who could really do anything about squishing down.

That wasn’t what he was thinking about though. Staring at those blue tattoos snaking up and down Lilith’s arm. Stark and real.

Was she the one leading them to the vault key fragments?

Unconsciously, of course. Just some sort of vague, bullshitty cosmic connection to them.

Looking past her, Roland was prattling off details about the hint they were following, the area, anything that he thought was even vaguely helpful or possibly even just interesting.

Much like Brick watching Mordecai last night, Lilith was doing the same to Roland. Couldn’t care less about what the hell boring thing he was invested in but truly loving seeing him so invested in something.

Mordecai didn’t know how to react to his brain registering that as ‘cute.’

But he was pulled out of that thought quickly by the feeling of a hand playing with his hair, or at least as much of it as was sticking out of his mask.

The old instinct to brush Brick off was strong, jam an elbow into his side and get him to stop but he didn’t. In fact, a sheepish smile forced its way onto his face which was certainly not a deterrent to Brick.

Lilith, too enamored at listening to Roland chatter on about most strategy entry points being blocked, didn’t notice this.

But no amount of preparation could adequately brace them for what was lying in wait..

\- - -

“Alright, so, like, is anyone else going to say what its face looks like or should I just blurt it out?”

“Lilith, no one’s-”

“Vagina.”

“Lilith.”

The disappointment was heavy in Roland’s voice but he couldn’t exactly focus on that right now since a terrifying vagina monster had come bursting out of the ground, splitting their group neatly in two.

Brick and Mordecai were by the entrance, by the tent. In the smart location. But he and Lilith had gone further ahead as the woman had curiously approached it like she had every gross, fleshy, hairy mound in the ground they’re found so far.

Stick in hand, like a giant child. Ready to poke.

But this time she didn’t even get to get a good jab in before it rose from the dust.

On the other side, Mordecai peered around the rocks at the creature dumbly stumbling around. Unaware of their current location but knowing someone was here. His scope providing far more detail than he ever could have wanted of the beast.

Opening the ECHOcomm he spoke, “So, Lilith’s pokin’ adventures finally got her in trouble, huh?”

“In my defense, I didn’t get close enough to poke it,” Lilith wiggled her stick from their hiding spot as the Hive turned its back to her, “But like, it’s so much worse than I could have imagined, right?”

Brick leaned over Mordecai’s shoulder to input, “It’s a vagina!”

Lilith yelled over Roland’s sigh, “It’s totally a vagina!!”

“Pipe down!” Roland hissed, “Do you two both want your last word to be vagina?!”

“I could live with that,” Lilith replied.

“I mean we could also just kill the big bastard and live in general,” Mordecai replied, “That’s, you know, an option.”

Roland’s sigh was relief this time, “Thanks for not sayin-”

“I mean,” Mordecai interrupted, smile cracking his face, “Who the hell wants to die to a giant vagina?”

Lilith’s laughter echoed, both between the device and just through the air in general.

Which would have been funny if it didn’t alert the Rakk Hive to at least where half of their party was hiding. Thundering footsteps as it stomped towards them, ejecting dozens of Rakks from its back.

“Ah, shit,” Mordecai scoped in again, “Brick for once in your life, don’t smash. I know you keep a shotgun on your for emergencies-”

“Man, I can’t do shit with the shotgun,” Brick jealously regarded the clean shot Mordecai delivered to one of the beast’s smaller eyes. A bit of the same as he watched Roland and Lilith open fire below.

“Not my fault you ain’t got any weapon proficiency,” Mordecai turned off the comms to stop them from distracting him and also so he could speak freely, “Should teach you to shoot straight some time.”

“I don’t do anythin’ straight,” Brick leaned in and whispered in his ear, only laughing as Mordecai’s shot went awry.

“Shut up,” Mordecai cackled, pecking the side of Brick’s too close face and lining up another shot, “Gonna make me miss again.”

\- - -

While it wasn’t exactly the most difficult battle they’d faced the Rakk Hive was lumbering along for way longer than they were comfortable with. The damn thing a tank of flesh and stink. The rakks it ejected no match for Bloodwing who seemed to be perpetually raining pieces of the ugly creatures down on them.

The only thing really worrying them was it was seemingly to pick up speed out of some desperation to stay alive.

And getting better at choosing a target and sticking with it.

Given her particular set of skills, Lilith was the flashy little firecracker bursting at its feet and trying to keep it distracted. Their loudest and flashiest member. Well, maybe Brick was louder but he was still, to his disappointment, stuck behind cover and firing with a gun.

He’d at least gotten closer, not exactly keen on leaving Mordecai alone before the man annoyedly reminded him that he was, in fact, someone who can very much defend himself.

Not liking sniping with a shotgun was doing anyone any good.

Mordecai was doing the most damage, able to aim at the weak eyes from his higher angle. Each time the beast jerking around and trying to spot its most dangerous target but finding nothing.

But evidently, eventually deciding it was in its best interest to find out.

Abruptly, the Hive stop stomping after the quickly flitting woman circling it below.

At first, they were mostly confused by the abrupt face. Thinking it was merely trying to run away. But quickly they realized exactly why the Rakk Hive was suddenly making for the other side of the tight, arena-like area.

Mordecai swore as he realized more than just a scope was making it look like the creature was bearing down on him. Scrambling to his feet as his bird realized just the same, swooping at its face as it stampeded towards him. No longer unsure of his location, even with half its eyes blinded.

But before Mordecai could even turn and face it himself there was a commotion behind the beast. A burst of craggy stone to its thick hide, hard enough to make it turn and consider the new assailant.

Anyone else wouldn’t have been able to throw a rock large enough to even phase the Rakk Hive but Brick sure could. Accompanied by a loud shout that echoed in the valley.

Damn idiot was playing tank like this was some sort of online game.

And it was working.

Abandoning its previous target, the Hive went after Brick. Closer, louder and throwing shit at it.

Lumbering toward Brick, it was clearly starting to suffer under the hail of bullets. Especially as Lilith quickly joined the circling of it, not content to let her friend suffer the brunt of its barrage. Even Roland coming a bit closer forward than he’d been playing it the whole time.

With a noise of annoyance, Mordecai adjusted his position again further back. Aiming for the eyes he’d let to burst out of its skull.

In no time, the beast finally fell. Brick and Lilith scrambling out of the way as its side burst open into a disgusting mess of alien organs still twitching and pulsing in the smothering Pandoran heat.

“Oh my god, that’s so freakin’ NASTY,” Lilith squealed, “Roland, Roland, where’d my good poking stick go?!”

Trotting up, Roland ignored that request. Too distracted by the sight in front of him, “If we never see one of these fucking things again, it’ll be too soon.”

While the boys marvelled at the gory sight in front of them, Lilith scampered off to the last known stick location. Meanwhile, Mordecai was taking his sweet time getting over there. Not quite as excited about being close to something so disgusting. Not pausing as he accepted the passing high five from Lilith, partially because if he didn’t she was going to accidentally smack him in the face with her misplaced enthusiasm.

When he did get there though, the annoyance on his face was evident.

Brick not catching it as he tightly trapped him against his side with a chipper, “Look, Mordy! It’s disgustin’.”

Roland, however, did. Mouth a thin line as Lilith returned, hoping the woman would be a good distraction from whatever Mordecai was pissed about.

She was, somewhat. Patting Brick in the middle of the chest with an authoritative, “Up.”

Letting go of Mordecai, he easily let Lilith climb up to his shoulders, standing and keeping herself up with a single hand on the greasy, thick hide of the animal. Just tall enough to poke at the protruding organs with gusto.

Joined with a screech as Bloodwing landed on a yellowed rib, ducking his head in to feast on what must be the most rare of delicacies.

“Aww! Who’s my gross little buddy? It’s you!” Lilith cooed at the bird, jabbing at the guts and lifting them to get Bloodwing to eat them. Making an absolutely inhuman noise of elation as he did.

Diffusing the situation of Mordecai’s annoyance was on Roland’s mind, not liking the grouchy way he was eyeing the only person he liked. Putting a hand on his boney shoulder and making the call, “While you two play poke the corpse me and Mordecai are gonna go, you know, get that piece of the Vault Key?”

He jerked his head toward the cave, their initial target.

“Whatever, don’t have fun with Rakk Hive guts,” Lilith dismissed them, “See if I care.”

\- - -

As Roland expected, pulling the piece of the Vault Key out of the chest and handing it to Mordecai brought back that same, weird excitement. Completely making him give up on whatever from that fight was annoying him.

Not that Roland didn’t have his suspicions. As standoffish as he was, Mordecai wasn’t a terribly hard man to read.

While their journey into the cave had been in silence, Roland chanced a single sentence as they started exiting the cave to return to the others, “It’s not the worst thing in the world to have someone who wants to protect you.”

He flinched at the scrutinizing look Mordecai gave him.

But thankfully attention was pulled away from him as the others were heading towards them too. Evidently bored with the Rakk Hive corpse rotting under the sun. Or possibly just not being able to handle the stench anymore.

Lilith swung her stick proudly, Bloodwing sitting on the end of it looking well fed and content, “Look! He’s so much heavier than I thought he’d be but he’s so cute! He’s letting me carry him!”

Mordecai wasn’t surprised considering the bird looked fit to pop. Absolutely stuffed after his feast.

“That he is,” Mordecai reached up with his free hand and ran it through Bloodwing’s feathers. The bird happily fluffing up as he always did, his handler ignoring the ever so slightly jealous look Brick was giving him.

“Oh, nice!” Lilith handed her stick over to Brick to get her hands on the Vault Key piece, “Three out of four, how wild is that?! Holy shit, we could NOT be closer. I mean. Until we get the next piece at least.”

“Why don’t we head back to New Haven and celebrate?” Roland watched Brick tilt the stick and get Bloodwing to step up on his shoulder.

“You guys go on ahead,” Brick took charge for once, grabbing Mordecai around the shoulders, “Me and Mordy gonna stay here for a while, let Bloodwing get round two on that Rakk Hive in a bit. When the hell else is he gonna get to eat somethin’ like that?”

There were no complaints from the other two, albeit Roland giving them a somewhat wary glare over his shoulder as they left.

But even he was quickly distracted by Lilith starting to set up a little date night alone for them.

Brick was steering him away from the Rakk Hive corpse though, prompting the question, “What are you actually keeping me here for?”

“I wanna watch the sunset with you,” Brick pointed out at the admittedly very wide view of said thing, soon to turn the world golden and beautiful, “I tried to back before when we were out killin’ that skag for T.K. but you didn’t wanna then. Thought maybe you’d wanna now.”

Of course whatever ulterior motive Brick had was something sweet and cutesy, disarming Mordecai’s annoyance a bit.

As they got to the edge, Brick quickly dropped to the ground. Not flinching at the quick little flap of his wings Bloodwing did to balance himself. Mordecai’s attempt to sit just slightly far enough away to try and have a serious discussion quashed as Brick put an arm around him and pulled him closer. Bloodwing not helping as he grabbed a dread and started tugging until Mordecai didn’t have much choice but to rest his head on Brick.

Was Bloodwing smart enough to know what he was doing? Sure as hell seemed like it considering the bird stopped the second he did that.

“Saved you from Scar then too.” Brick lightly flexed, always seemed to when he was crowing about his successes, “So you already gave Bloodwing his scratchies, where’s mine?”

Mordecai bit his lip and looked at the sun sinking lower in the sky, “About that…”

Brick wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but he wasn’t braindead, face dropping at the evident disappointment, “About what?”

Man, apparently Mordecai doesn’t like disappointing Brick. Words a bit nicer than they’d been buzzing in his head, thankfully, “Don’t… don’t do that.”

His face fell further at that though still, “What… keep you safe? It’s kinda my job now. Always has been, for everyone I’ve ever been with.”

Patting his giant chest with a dull thump noise, knowing exactly how bulky he was. Probably had spent most of his life being boyfriends’ knight in glistening muscles. Any pride he felt at that dampened by being chastised for doing what he was best at.

“I don’t need anyone protecting me,” Mordecai’s grip tightened on the barrel of the gun next to him, “I wasn’t in danger, you think I can’t run and shoot at the same time? I’ve won gold for doing that, literally.”

One of his few regrets about leaving Artemis so quickly had been leaving those behind. Were all his medals and trophies still there? His last hideaway had been extremely deep in the forest. Very well hidden. Not like he would ever find out, wasn’t like they were getting up there anytime soon.

“It’s not… that I don’t think you can you just… don’t have to,” Brick shifted uncomfortably, “You don’t have to be alone and do things by yourself. I just… did what I’m good at. Bein’ big and distracting. Sure you can take care of yourself close range but… you… don’t have to.”

Grimacing and looking away, hating how stupid running out of words after just a few sentences made him feel.

“I just… don’t want you getting hurt over me.”

Unspoken, ‘because I don’t think I’m worth it.’

Brick looked back, still pained, “I can take a lot more damage than you.”

“I’m not some wilting flowe-”

“I know you’re not,” Brick cut him off, “But you don’t take care of yourself.”

“You don’t either,” he strained uselessly against the arm pinning him, “Mine may be more physically evident but you just… you do things like let me do shit that’s upsetting you for eons before saying anything or flinging yourself into danger at the vaguest implication that anything’s crosshairs are over me.”

The way Brick looked out at the now in full swing sunset was heart wrenching, every line on his face crying out that this isn’t how he wanted this to go. A second sunset wasted, another romantic moment ruined.

“I just want you to be happy.”

“Don’t try to make me happy at the cost of yourself,” Mordecai looked out with him, nuzzling back in, “Don’t mind if you play hero sometimes just don’t do shit like try and provoke a giant, rampaging monster. Just… trust that I can take care of myself. Hell, I can even take care of you sometimes.”

“Take care of me?” a teasing edge creeping back into his voice as the arm around him slid lower, “Heh, well, I can think of a few ways you can do that.”

“If you think we’re doing anything here, you’re out of your damn mind.”

“What? We’re alone. Lilith an’ Roland are long gone.”

“Brick, there’s a bird on your shoulder and a rotting Rakk Hive behind us.”

“Bloodwing’s good at listening, he can just go have a little bird adventure,” Brick nudged the creature with his head who gave him a little squawk, “And we can’t even see the Rakk Hive corpse.”

“I can SMELL the Rakk Hive corpse.”

“Only a little bit.”

Brick laughed at the light smack to his chest, followed by Mordecai pointing towards the sunset, “Shut up, look at the pretty colors.”

“Alright, alright,” Brick kissed him on the head, “But only ‘cause this is romantic as hell.”

Resting his head on the warm leather of Mordecai’s mask, Brick sighed contentedly. Feeling the sharp little feet of Bloodwing switch shoulders to get out of the way. Once again relaxing the second a problem wasn’t staring him right in the face. Able to just take this moment for what it was. Watching a golden sunset with his boyfriend, snuggled up close. Also Bloodwing is here.

And for once in his life… Mordecai felt himself let go of the problem too. Not obsessively circling it in his head over and over. Refusing to let the problem be solved, the conversation be already had. Not trapped in a perpetual hell of his own making.

Just being smothered by a wall of muscle, watching the night begin to encroach on the dazzling rays.

Mordecai was just… happy.

He knew it wouldn’t last, it never did, but for a single bright, shining moment he got to see the light.

“Hey, Brick?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

Instantly, he was hugged tightly enough to nearly crack him in half with a cheek kiss that almost knocked his jaw off. Brick’s response practically yelled in his ear, “I love you too!!”

The kisses didn’t stop at the one, nailing his face roughly in a few more places before finally hitting his actual mouth. Leaving him trying very, very hard not to think about the environment in which they’d decided to make out.

But as far as he was concerned, gigantic rotting corpse and potential bruising aside, this was a more perfect evening than he ever would have thought possible.


	12. Big Damn Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: This has been modified to be the final chapter of this section, the rest moved to a secondary fic in the same series. I'll be posting an actual new chapter for it some time this weekend, follow that/the series for future updates!!

Waking up, drooling on Brick’s arm to the smell of a disgusting rotting corpse was a lot less romantic than the sunset just a while before. By a long shot.

Mordecai wasn’t even entirely sure how he’d managed to fall asleep there but he had. Pandoran sunsets drag on for hours and hours, the lengthened days pulling them to the extreme. He hadn’t even been that tired when it’d started.

Brick chuckled and when questioned why he didn’t wake him up just simply gave the answer of, “You looked too adorable and comfy, all snuggled up to me.” His dedication to the cause only amplified by the way he uncomfortably stretched when they stood up, back sore from sitting on the cold hard ground.

The Rakk Hive corpse illuminated in the moonlight was a stark reminder of ‘oh, we’re in a disgusting place.’ Ushering them quickly out of the abandoned valley.

It also, perhaps, didn’t help that an overstuffed Bloodwing was hopping around like a fat little king. Warbling happily even though he looked like he was ready to be cooked for a Mercenary Day feast. Having to be carried under Mordecai’s arm.

Roland and Lilith remained ignorant of exactly how long their teammates had been, too caught up in their own night to not notice the faint sounds of the other half of their team slinking home in the dead of night. Even with Bloodwing happily making noises the whole way like he wasn’t in fat bastard mode.

Any and all of Brick’s arguments for not letting the bird sleep on the bed fell on deaf ears. Although he had to admit the little stinker looked adorable in the little makeshift blanket nest and maybe he couldn’t complain about Mordecai being forced to snuggle up even closer to make room for the sleeping bird snuggling into his stomach.

The next day when Roland came to wake them up he was greeted by the doorway filling frame of Brick, wearing his best “vaguely disgruntled” face with a firm assertion that he and Mordecai weren’t going anywhere today.

You don’t really argue with Brick.

\- - -

But after another day off, it was Mordecai and Brick’s turn to have something they couldn’t argue with.

Knocking on the door with his knuckles, Roland tried to keep a stern look on his face but the light of excitement was shining through nonetheless, “Rise and shine! C’mon, you’re not having another day off while me and Lilith do all the work.”

Again, Brick. This time in just his boxers. Leaning on the frame with a ‘what are you gonna do about it?’ look plastered on his face, “Kinda like to see what you’d try to do to make me. Might be funny.”

For a split second, Roland understood Mordecai’s previous feelings of ‘man, fuck this macho asshole.’

But that was overpowered by the excitement of the news he brought. Brick initially smiling as Roland turned away, arms clasped behind his back, seemingly giving up instantly. Until the downright singsong tone of Roland’s voice cut the air, “Alright then, looks like me and Lilith’ll have to get the last piece of the Vault Key all by ourselves. Maybe even open it on our own too. But you two can stay here and lounge around in bed all day if you w-”

Brick’s tendency to just grab someone’s entire head to stop them from walking away is never something you get used to, but Roland still smiled at the way Brick’s voice perked up at that, “Alright, alright, don’t gotta be a jerk about it. Give us ten minutes.”

“I will give you five,” Roland replied with a smirk.

\- - -

“That’s a big fuckin’ tower.”

“Acute observation, Brick,” Lilith looked to the tip-top, glinting in the sunlight.

According to Tannis the final piece of the Vault Key was to be at the very top. Being bogarted by one Baron Flynt, for whatever his reasons might be.

“Man, why do you guys think these bandit kings even bother keepin’ the Vault Key around?” Mordecai questioned, watching Bloodwing begin to curiously circle higher, “Not like there’s anything they’re doin’ with it. Just sitting on a ticking time bomb that they’re never gonna use.”

“The glory, I imagine,” Roland answered, hands on hips, “Don’t forget, bandits are dumb as hell.”

“Lot more glory in getting all four and getting to open the Vault,” Lilith perked up, grabbing Roland’s arm and dragging him towards the entrance, “We’re so friggin’ close I can TASTE it.”

“What’s it taste like?” Roland teased.

“Sour Apple!”

\- - -

Aside from the two giants, Hans and Franz, the fight wasn’t much. Even Baron Flynt himself wasn’t a challenge. Honestly, this coming off from the Rakk Hive… so, so much easier.

Plus the view was to die for. Or well, considering the large piles of corpses around them, to kill for.

While Roland and Lilith rooted around in the corpses for loot, Mordecai stood at the edge and looked out at the wasteland surrounding them. Brick following suit like an obedient puppy dog although he wasn’t standing nearly as close to the tipping point. Warily eyeing Mordecai who seemed to have absolutely no fear of toppling over the edge.

“Heh, Bloodwing likes it up here,” Mordecai leaned back as the bird swooped past, happily enjoying being in the heavens, “Maybe after we’re filthy fuckin’ rich I’ll get one of these kickass towers for myself.”

The way he looked over at Brick was questioning, almost a silent challenge. Seeing if the man liked the idea of living in Casa de Mordecai.

“Or something… on the ground.”

“Wouldn’t take someone as tall as you for someone who’d be scared of heights.”

“I ain’t scared of heights,” Brick eyed the edge, “Just have a reasonable amount of safety concerns when my ass is thousands and thousands of feet in the air. ‘Specially long term.”

Mordecai smirked, “So, in other words, scared.”

The scowl he got in return only made him cackle.

“I like being high up. Good for sniping, get to hang out with my bird, feels like flying.”

“Yeah, yeah, and falling feels like flying too,” Brick shuddered, “I’ll jump off a hell of a lot of things but this… too much. Can barely even see the damn ground. Would, uh, like you to not be standing so close to the edge.”

Brick’s heart dropped into his stomach as the obnoxiously cavalier way Mordecai spun around, walking right on the edge, “I’ve been climbing high shit since I was five, you don’t need to worry about me.”

“C’mon, stop,” Brick made a grab for his arm.

Dodging, Mordecai confidently started walking backwards around the edge, “Tch, I’m fine.”

Brick’s second swipe was much more successful though, grabbing Mordecai firmly by the strap around his chest and dragging him away from the edge with ease. Ignoring the playful slaps at his hand and half-hearted demands to, “Leggo.” Having to walk on his toes, half dangled.

Roland shook his head, walking up with a bag full of guns tossed over his shoulder, “Quit it with the horseplay, Mordecai. Brick’s right, don’t need you falling off the tower like a damn fool.”

“Aww, he can carry you around like a purse,” Lilith tugged at the sword, “A safe little purse.”

“Shut up,” Mordecai made a more sincere effort to get away which was met with being dropped, “Brick can pick any of us up one handed.”

Roland dodged Brick attempting to prove this.

“Let’s just get looking for the key fragment,” Roland started heading up towards Baron’s perch.

Lilith, having played many video games in her life, simply headed for the largest loot chest in the area. Flinging it open with a triumphant, “Ta-da!”

Nothing. Nada. A couple expensive guns and a pile of cash but no key fragment.

“But…” Lilith dug around in the cash, looking for something that wasn’t there, “It’s always in the biggest chest!”

“Maybe Baron’s just a little less stupid than everyone else we’ve taken these from,” Mordecai kicked open another to find nothing but ammo, “Tannis said it would be here and she’s, you know, smart and shit.”

“Fan out,” Roland instructed, clicking another open, “It has to be here somewhere.”

\- - -

Digging and digging, their search was finally interrupted. Commandant Steele.

Honestly? Mordecai’d kinda forgot about her. Dead silent for so long. But now? Now she was gloating about Tannis joining them, about there not being another piece of the Vault Key. Offering them amnesty if they’d just fuck off.

Not that Mordecai believed that for a hot second. No way the great white witch wouldn’t be hunting their asses down for sport after getting the Vault open and killing them slowly for kicks.

Then the Angel. That weird, odd woman. Not woman? AI? Actual holy apparition? Showed her face again.

A vague warning. Mordecai loves vague warnings.

Followed by a followed through threat. An attack on Sanctuary, the ECHO network down, something else from that damned weird ‘angel.’

Their only recourse…

Find Tannis.

\- - -

“This place brings back some bad, bad memories…” Roland mumbled, stepping over dead Atlas soldiers, “Real fuckin’ bad.”

“I don’t know why we’re even goin’ after her,” Mordecai sneered, “If we weren’t the biggest dumbasses on this shithole planet, we’d just leave her to rot.”

“After all this time, you’re going to trust some random Atlas soldier over the woman who helped us all these months?” Lilith jogged to get past them, not even sparing them a glance, “Tannis didn’t-”

Roland caught her shoulder, “Tannis did.”

Shrugged off, Lilith kept going, “We don’t know that and even if she did? Who the hell says Commandant Steele didn’t threaten her? She’s a scientist, not a fighter. C’mon, Brick, you seem like the type to have blind faith in others. Back me up.”

But even the look he gave her was wary and unsure.

“You all freakin’ suck,” Lilith stomped out of the room, words growing fainter, “And I’m going to be totally ri-”

Her echoes got too quiet to hear.

Snaking after her, they got deeper and deeper into the facility. Searching for their missing friend-not-friend, tearing through Atlas forces, find nothing but dead ends until-

“Hello? Lilith? Roland?” the familiar voice sounded, “Brick and Mordecai? Any or all? Hopefully all, I saw quite a lot of soldiers when I was hauled through this disgusting facility. Really. Atlas can afford a full scale planetary invasion but not a proper sanitation unit? Disgraceful. But unsurprising.”

There she was, standing at the bars with her pale hands just barely touching the offending metal. Surprisingly calm look in her eyes only broken for a second as she perked up just the tiniest bit at Lilith trotting up to her.

“Tannis! Are you alright?” Lilith grabbed the bars from the other side, “What happened?”

The men, although less sympathetic to the trapped woman’s cause, still wanted to hear her reasoning at the very least.

“Well, Commandant Steele showed up at my domicile shortly after you four departed one evening,” Tannis explained, matter-of-factly, “She wanted the Vault Key, she wanted you out of the way. Very much not going to take ‘no’ for an answer. Nor me regurgitating at her feet. What she did accept for an answer, however, was me telling you four to go to get the ‘final’ piece of the key from Baron Flynt. That seemed like something you’d enjoy, at the very least, so I complied.”

“See,” Lilith shot back at them, “What the hell else was she going to do?”

“Die, I suppose,” Tannis interjected.

Given Tannis’s perfectly straightforward nature nobody thought for a second that she was lying to them to their faces. Hell, the woman probably was physically incapable of that. Her only hope of deception existing over ECHOs or by omission.

Roland sighed, pulling out the key they’d found earlier and jiggling it in the lock, “Well… whatever, let’s just get her out of there.”

“My gratitude,” Tannis offered, stepping out of the cell and digging into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and delicately putting it into Lilith’s hand. Avoiding skin contact. Instructing, “I’ve written down all you should need to get the ECHO network back online and find the Vault. Once you’ve gotten it open, please contact me as quickly as you are able. Preferably safely.”

Mordecai had to admit, if it was up to him he wouldn’t be calling Tannis anytime soon. Although, admittedly, even he felt like he couldn’t really blame the woman. If he’d been abandoned by a corporation on a hell planet and traumatized out of his mind he’d probably cave the second military personnel so much as looked in his general direction too.

This feeling only magnified as Tannis let out a bit of a cheer, the smallest imitation of a fistbump, “Get that ‘albino bitch’ as the people of New Haven have been calling her!”

“You want our help getting out of here?” Lilith nodded towards the exit, “Long drive back home.”

“If I could survive on this planet for years being actively hunted by bandits, I can survive playing hopscotch with a few corpses then driving one of those rickety runners home. Scooter even made me one with a cover! Very helpful, no more bugs.”

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Lilith turned back to the others, looking over her shoulder one last time, “But if you encounter any trouble…”

“Go on, go on,” Tannis waved them away, heading towards the opposite door, “I assure you, I can handle myself just fine. Get that Vault!”

\- - -

Mordecai was glad they’d scrapped those shitty runners for the stolen bandit vehicle scanned in by a reluctant Scooter. Until they’d promised him that he could mess around with it however he wanted. That got him perked up again.

The changes weren’t unwelcome. Bed of the back padded a bit at the front so they could lean on it, not quite seats but enough.

Lilith always nudged Roland excitedly when they wanted to ditch them to ride in the back. Happily picturing it as the perfect romantic moment for her friends to realize how good they’d be together. Still obliviously unaware that her matchmaking dreams were something that had already come true weeks and weeks ago by now.

She was right about one thing though, it was romantic as fuck.

“S’one nice thing about Pandora,” Brick mused, crushing Mordecai against his side, “Y’can see all the stars.”

“You really like lookin’ at the sky, you know that?”

“Air’s clean here, can’t see the sky on Menoetius,” he leaned heavily on Mordecai, “Too much pollution from all the factories.”

“Right, whole planet’s a concrete hellhole, righ- rude, that was rude.”

“Nah, you’re right,” Brick scoffed, “I miss my family but I ain’t got no love for my homeworld. It’s… miserable. People think Pandora is featureless but this place is damn gorgeous in comparison.”

“Hey, to be fair,” Mordecai patted his chest, “There are nicer parts of Pandora.”

“I seen ‘em on those brochures they got everywhere,” Brick was unaware that Mordecai had been collecting them, “Hell, we can go on a romantic tour of all those after this is over. Be fun. I wanna see a beach, I’ve never seen a beach. Not a real one at least. Trash Coast don’t count.”

“Take me like a whole damn day to bury you in the sand.”

“Just make me a mermaid tail, forget the chest. Lost cause.”

“Deal,” Mordecai held out a hand to shake on it, “Just don’t let me wander drunkenly into the sea.”

“Deal,” it was downright comedic how much Brick’s hand dwarfed his, the man cackling, “Gonna be hard to ditch Roland and Lilith.”

“Huh, would have thought you’d want this to be some weird, long double date.”

“Nah, I want some privacy. Tired of tryin’ to be quiet so they don’t hear as across the hall.”

“Tch, creep,” Mordecai shoved him, grinning, “Thinkin’ about weird, sexy cabins on the beach, all alone.”

“Hey, that was way more descriptive than anythin’ I said. You’re the one thinking about that.”

“I mean, now I am.”

Brick looked at the ECHO device next to them, ticking down to the place Tannis marked, “You scared of openin’ the Vault at all? The Angel sounded scared of it or somethin’.”

“I’m not scared of anythi…” Mordecai trailed off, both him and Brick catching the slip, “... the Angel?”

Instantly Brick’s face paled, brain scrambling and muscles tensing up, “I just- she’s- she’s the- look, you can’t think I’m crazy or anythin’, but I’ve been seein’ this girl talking to me…”

“Fuck, no,” Mordecai put a hand over his eyes, “I’m just so fucking glad someone else has been seeing her. Been trying to avoid talking about her for months, though I was the one going crazy.”

The way Brick relaxed, pushed Mordecai into a slouch, “Me too. Wonder if Lilith and Roland been seein’ her. I ain’t asking ‘em though.”

“Who knows,” Mordecai’s shrug barely moved the giant arm smushing him, “I watched everyone else, once. When she was talking, looking past her projection. Everyone was quiet like they were listening but I sure as hell ain’t chancing asking them either.”

“Eh, if we wait long enough Lilith’ll prolly slip up if she’s seeing something,” Brick looked back towards the cabin of the car, “Don’t think she’s got much of a filter and I don’t think bein’ rich as hell will be able to stop that. Probably gonna make it worse.”

“Man, I wonder how they even store riches in the Vaults,” Mordecai mused, looking at Elpis up above, “We gonna have to guard it while haul out jewels or something?”

“Maybe, I think we just gotta get the damn thing open first before we start makin’ plans.”

\- - -

Aliens. Fucking’ real-ass, creepy mask faced aliens. Attacking them like something out of a bad B-movie. Guarding the Vault, their treasure? Their power? Who knows?

All they know is a bullet stops damn near everything. Whatever fueled the Eridians nothing in the face of a small piece of metal, cracking their skulls open and ripping holes in their unnatural bodies.

The purple tinted Eridian lands were offputting to say the least, aliens or no. If the glimpses of the aliens looming over them in statues had been intimidating seeing them in the flesh and being in the heart of their land was…

Well, none of them would own up to it but all of them were scared. Just a little bit. Hidden and crushed behind competence but lurking nonetheless. Silently sticking a bit closer to their partners than they normally would.

The feeling didn’t fade as they approached the final area. A crumbling archway, Steele perched on a platform in front of it with the key floating behind her. Crimson Lance circling her like little worker bees as they approached.

Facing them, she gloated, “You’ve failed to listen to me. I’ve warned you time and time again, yet you persist on ignoring my orders. The contents of the Vault are the rightful property of the Atlas corporation. But you? You belong to me.”

Turning around, Steele snapped the pieces of the Vault Key into place and lowered it into the hole in the stone below.

Slowly, glowing purple, the pieces of the archway scattered on the ground lifted up. Snapping suddenly into place after they got off the ground. Closing the arc. A purple void bursting to life behind it while Steele prattled on, something coming ou-

In a burst of blood, a sharp tentacle skewered Steele’s midsection. The Siren letting out a single scream before looking down at it for just a split second before being pulled back into the interlocking, toothy maw waiting for her. The beast’s giant, blue eye wildly regarding them as it easily crushed the offending soldiers with ease.

Somehow, all of them intrinsically knowing what this was.

The Destroyer.

Once more, the Angel appeared.

“Don’t give up!” she called out to them, “This creature is immortal in its realm but in this one it cannot survive without a host! It can be hurt, even killed!”

The four of them realized they’d instinctively clustered closer together at some point, all pressed nearly elbow to elbow as they looked up both at the monster beginning to rampage and the glowing women floating unseen in front of them faces.

Lilith broke the spell though, the first to start running forward, “You heard the Angel! It bleeds; we can kill it!”

Hot on her heels, Roland was the second to take off, “Let’s put this ugly bastard back where it belongs!”

Before Brick could run off too, Mordecai grabbed his arm.

“Don’t do anything reckless,” he warned, “You’re the one most in danger here. Biggest target, no gun. If you die by getting turned into a human shish-kebab by a hideous Vault monster I’ll never forgive you.”

“I ain’t gonna die here,” Brick smirked, a massive hand on his head pulling Mordecai into a kiss on top of his mask.

At that, he took off.

Mordecai split as well with one last look up to Bloodwing circling above, finding a nice and secure spot behind a crumbling pillar. Scoping in at the beastie’s massive eye glaring down at them, barely obscured by the twisting tentacles slamming down again and again where Lilith used to be as she phased in and out of their dimension. Each missed shot punished by a punch from Brick. Roland holding the middle ground, unloading with an almost eerie amount of focus.

Squinting, Mordecai took his first shot. Right into that giant, ever watching eye.

\- - -

The long, slow drag of the fight didn’t reduce the fear each and every one of them felt looking up at the massive monster looming in the archway.

Like nothing they’d ever seen, seemingly unbothered by their constant assault.

All of them wondering if the Angel had lied and the creature truly was immortal, just merely waiting out their stamina and ammo stash.

But just as it seemed like it would never end, it did.

Its giant blue eye blinking weaker and weaker, two small earthquakes shaking the ground as its two main tentacles slammed to the ground in a final fit of rage. Something pulling it back into the burning purple void, even as it protested and flailed still.

All four of them cautiously lowering their weapons to watch the scene unfolding in front of them in awe. Roland and Mordecai creeping a bit closer to gawk at the sight. Brick and Lilith already particularly close, standing side by side as the larger than life beast went into its death throes.

Too close to see one of the retreating tentacles coming right for them.

It missed Lilith, catching Brick by an arm and instantly beginning to drag him against the craggy ground towards the swirling void.

Mordecai felt his heart drop into his stomach, his body reacting before his brain.

Moving faster than he’d ever moved in his life, Mordecai bolted towards Brick and pounced like a stalker. Sword out and somehow managing to sever the tentacle in one swing, by some mercy of the powers above it being one of the thinner ones. Adrenaline the only thing making any of that possible.

It was less than a few seconds but the whole thing felt like hours to Mordecai, even as he kneeled there with bloody knees, straddling Brick’s waist and watching the oozing severed tentacle continue to drag away as the massive creature fell back into the void. Disappearing into it. Gone as quickly as it had arrived, without leaving a single thing behind.

But while Mordecai and the others watched the Destroyer’s defeat Brick was too busy looking up at Mordecai with the kind of awe and adoration that’s normally only reserved for one’s personal deity.

The Angel spoke with only three of them listening, congratulating them, apologizing that she couldn’t warn them about what was in it, praising them for their victory.

It took a second for Mordecai to realize he was panting hard enough that it was making him lightheaded.

“I’m having a heart attack,” he calmly proclaimed.

Lilith gave him a firm smack on the back, “C’mon, Mordy, you’re not having a heart attack.”

“I’m having a heart attack,” he didn’t react to the big hands easily pulling him down into a crushing hug with thunderous laughter, “I’m gonna die. Never done anything even half as athletic in my entire damn life.”

“But you did,” Roland walked up, beaming with pride, “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

The implications of that were lost on Mordecai as Brick practically yelled in his ear, “My hero! Big guys like me don’t usually get knights in shinin’ armor. Feel like the prettiest princess in all of Pandora!”

“Reverse Princess and the Pea!” Lilith shouted, jumping on top of them before they could even contemplate the meaning of that. Legs kicking as she just barely managed to get her arms around both of them.

Mordecai grunted in pain, “Get the fuck off of me, how do you even weigh this much? You’re scrawny as hell.”

“I’m dense!” Lilith chirped with a squeeze.

His failure to elbow Lilith off was about to multiply his discomfort.

The only warning they got was a stoic, “Ah, why the hell not.” before Roland jumped onto the pile too. Making even Lilith call out for him to get off as he crushed her and Mordecai.

Only Brick at the very bottom still comfortable too, his laughter only rostling the whole pile somewhat painfully, “Ha, I love bullyin’ lil’ people.”

The cherry on top of this pile landed with sharp little talons digging just slightly into Roland’s back. Bloodwing looking around victoriously and letting out a piercing scream to let everyone in the area know he was on top of the pecking order.

Sighing, Mordecai gave up and let himself at least somewhat enjoy this. Face smashed into Brick’s pecs, Lilith’s bony chin digging into his own jagged shoulder blade.

Even let himself have a smile.

But this momentary happiness was short lived as Lilith suddenly burst back to life, the first one to regain her sense of purpose. Her struggle to freedom resulting in just about all of them being kicked, punched, or elbowed as she squirmed her way out of the pile.

All of them awkwardly dispersed after that, albeit Brick not letting Mordecai out of his grasp for a second. A giant arm nearly keeping him in a willing headlock.

Before they could question Lilith’s actions they watched her face go from wild excitement to confusion to soul crushing disappointment.

Littered around them was their meager reward. Loot chests. Admittedly a lot of them but nothing that they couldn’t have acquired much more easily by raiding every bandit camp in the area. All of them hoping that perhaps something else, something more meaningful would be inside but as Lilith approached the first and opened it she found nothing special.

Just full of regular old guns. Expensive ones, sure, but nothing life changing.

“This is… this is it?” Mordecai’s chest felt tight, “This is our big damn reward?!”

Brick let go of him finally, walking forward like a few feet was going to change something, like he’d see something amazing they’d overlooked, “Just a big monster and a bunch of guns? Really?”

Lilith sounded about ready to cry, “There’s… there’s got to be more, right? It can’t just be some loot, there’s got to be…”

“This is it,” Roland gave them the answer no one wanted, “This is… really it.”

Silence fell over the group as the disappointment sunk in.

The noise Lilith made was downright pathetic, a whimpering sniffle, before she whipped around and started running out. Away from the disappointing array of chests and the once again broken archway.

“I’m going after her,” Roland addressed Brick and Mordecai before following after, “Grab all the guns you can and make sure to get the Vault Key. If Lilith’s gone too far, I’ll meet you at Tannis’s shack.”

The two of them disappeared, leaving Brick and Mordecai alone. Bloodwing perched on Brick’s shoulder, looking around curiously.

Mordecai’s throat was so tight he could barely speak.

“My whole life I heard people talk about the Vault like it was some… life changing thing. If you opened one you’d be rich beyond your wildest dreams. Get anything you want. But what do we get? The biggest damn let down of a consolation prize I’ve ever seen. Don’t blame Lilith for runnin’ away cryin’. Hell, maybe she has the right idea.”

Sighing, he moved to at least collect what little they’d been given. Knowing walking away completely empty handed would feel even worse.

But a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“We didn’t… get much in the way of treasure but…” Brick carefully tried to piece together the vague concept in his head, “But if it wasn’t for the Vault we wouldn’t have found each other and that’s better than bein’ rich and famous, right? Rather have you for a treasure than all the money on Pandora.”

“Man, that’s the corniest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” Mordecai shakily replied, very poorly trying to stop the smile creeping onto his face, “Maybe I love it but don’t make me cry when I’m wearing the mask, it’s uncomfortable as hell.”

“It’d really suck if you had to take it off,” Brick wrapped an arm around him again, “Not like I like seein’ your cute face or anything.”

“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Mordecai’s tone was mocking but he was still reaching behind his head and undoing the ties.

The way Brick just nodded happily like that wasn’t a hypothetical question only made the flutter in Mordecai’s chest more fervent.

Mask in one hand, he wiped at his teary eyes with the other, “There, you happy?”

The answer came in the form of a sudden kiss that nearly flopped Bloodwing off Brick’s broad shoulders as he stooped down to Mordecai’s level. The bird flapping his wings and hopping around a little bit as his human dad’s arms reached up and wrapped tightly around Brick’s non-existent neck to kiss him right back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright lads, we're out of the Borderlands 1 base game chapters!! And I'm glad because I've always honestly gotten the events of BL1 out of order in my head and now I don't have to worry about that because the DLC are so much more distinct in locale lmao.
> 
> Also I feel like now that I've dared to describe Menoetius as a miserable industrial planet they're gonna show it in a DLC as like a paradise or something and make a rube out of me.


End file.
